FIFTY-TWO YEARS 



N FLORIDA 



m 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap, Copyright No. 

Shelf JT<a„L^ 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



✓ 

BY JOHN C. LEY. 




Nashville, Tenn. : Dallas, Tex.: 
Publishing House of the M. E. Church, South. 
Barbee & Smith, Agents, 
1899. 



80552 



Library of Congress 

Two Copies Received 
NOV 26 1900 

Copyright entry 

SECOND COPY 

Delivered to 

ORDER DIVISION 

DEC 15 1900-- 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1899, 
By John C. Ley, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



TO MY BELOVED WIFE, 

WHO FOR NEAR FIFTY YEARS HAS BEEN THE PARTNER 
OF MY TOILS AND HOPES; 

TO MY SONS, 

INTO WHOSE HANDS I COMMEND THE BANNER 
I MUST SOON RELEASE; AND 

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA CONFERENCE, 

WHO HAVE HONORED ME WITH A PLACE AMONG THEM, 

THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED, 



PREFACE. 



The Florida Conference, at its session of January, 
1885, having by resolution requested the author to 
write a series of articles for the We.sley<i/i Christian 
Advocate "with reference to their publication in a 
book," and recognizing that the object of said resolu- 
tion was to save from oblivion some names and inci- 
dents which may in the future be useful to the Church, 
he did not feel at liberty to decline ; and in an attempt 
to meet the spirit of the resolution in this humble vol- 
ume has tried to give not only reminiscence, but also a 
brief outline of the history of the Church and State 
from the days of Juan Ponce de Leon to the present. 

He has attempted only a connected outline, as limited 
space would allow no more. In doing this he lays no 
claim to originality, but has gathered facts from every 
source within reach, condensing them into as small 
space as possible, and presenting them in his own lan- 
guage. He here acknowledges obligations to Mr. Fair- 
banks, from whom he has drawn largely in dates and 
incidents. 

The book as it is has commanded his earnest eiforts, 
and as such it is commended to the Conference and 
public with the prayer that the critic may deal gently 
with an old man, whose life has been spent in talking 
— not writing — and begging the generous reader to re- 
member that the preservation of facts has been his 
object. 



CONTENTS. 



PART I 
CHAPTER I. PAGE 

Discovery of Florida — Juan Ponce de Leon 9 

CHAPTER n. 

Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon — Panfilo Narvaez — Cabeza de 
Vaca 11 

CHAPTER III. 

Hernando de Soto 13 

CHAPTER IV. 

Fort Caroline — The French Massacred — Retribution 15 

CHAPTER V. 

Indians Troublesome— Treaty of 1745 — Florida Ceded to 
Great Britain 19 

PART II. 
CHAPTER I. 
John J. Triggs — Elijah Sinclair — Donald MacDonell — 
John Slade 24 

CHAPTER II. 
Missions in the East — J. N. Glenn — Allen Turner — J. L. 
Jerry — St. Augustine 28 

CHAPTER HI. 

Tallahassee — Josiah Evans — Adam Wyrick 31 

CHAPTER IV. 

Extracts from the Diary of Isaac Boring 36 

CHAPTER V. 

Indian Atrocities — John L. Jerry — James B. Jackson — 
W. M. Crumley— R. H. Howren 50 



8 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



PART III. 
CHAPTER I. Page 

The Author Transferred to the Florida Conference 58 

CHAPTER II. 

Our First Conference and Its Members 60 

CHAPTER III. 
Second Conference — The Armed Occupation Act — A. J. 
Deavours — Extracts from Journal 64 

CHAPTER IV. 

Our Third Conference — Hamilton Circuit — Affliction 69 

CHAPTER V. 

From 1849 to 1853 72 

CHAPTER VI. 

From 1854 to 1858 78 

CHAPTER VII. 
From 1860 to 1863 84 

CHAPTER VIII. 
From 1863 to 1866 93 

CHAPTER IX. 

From 1867 to 1876 99 

CHAPTER X. 

From 1877 to 1880 107 

CHAPTER XL 

From 1877 to 1883 Ill 

CHAPTER XII. 
From 1884 to 1889 114 

CHAPTER XIII. 
From 1888 to 1895 119 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Conclusion 126 

APPENDIX. 

Centenary of Methodism 133 

A Sermon 146 



PART I. 



CHAPTER I. 

Discovery of Florida— Juan Ponce cle Leon. 

In attempting to trace a brief outline of Florida's 
early history we meet at every step the most serious 
difficulties. We are carried back to the days of ro- 
mance and chivalry, long before any other settlements 
were made in the wilds of America. 

The character and objects of the explorers, the fe- 
rocity and cruelty of the natives, throw around 
chivalry and heroism the horrors of deception and 
carnage. The first, and perhaps the most impor- 
tant, of these explorers was Juan Ponce de Leon. 
He was a companion of Columbus in his second 
voyage to America, afterwards he held an office 
under Orvando in Hispaniola. Under orders from 
Spain he visited and conquered Porto Rico. He 
had heard of a famous country lying to the north- 
west, possessing all the charms of an El Dorado, and 
also of a fountain capable of affording perpetual 
youth. Having acquired considerable wealth and 
having been supplanted as governor of Porto Rico, 
in the spring of 1512 he fitted out an expedition of 
three vessels, left Hispaniola, and landed near where 
St. Augustine now stands, on Palm Sunday. It be- 
ing the day for church decorations, the wild luxuri- 
ance of flowers naturally suggested the name of Flor- 
ida for the country. 



10 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



Ponce de Leon's first object was to obtain gold and 
precious stones. These he obtained not. He sought 
the fountain of youth. This he found not. The au- 
thor of these lines, after over three hundred and fifty 
years from that time, having floated upon the waters 
of Silver Spring, Crystal River, and other enchant- 
ing streams of beauty in Florida; having bathed in 
her fountains and eaten her golden fruit, feels that 
Ponce de Leon's fountain was within the reach of 
fancy, though not of fact. 

But Ponce de Leon came not to develop the coun- 
try, but to obtain what he could from it. Thus dis- 
appointed, he returned to Spain, making, however, a 
favorable report. 

In 1521 he returned as adelantado (governor) of 
Florida, or Bimini. He made proclamation of his 
adelantadoship, and demanded allegiance from the 
natives. But the answer was by no means satisfac- 
tory, for the natives fiercely attacked his forces, kill- 
ing many of his troops and sorely wounding the gov- 
ernor. 

Thus wounded in body, and sorely crushed in spir- 
it, Ponce de Leon returned to Cuba, where after a 
few days he died. His gubernatorial honors were to 
him sad failures. Instead of obtaining gold and 
precious stones, he squandered his own vast wealth. 
His El Dorado was a barren waste. Instead of finding 
a fountain of youth, the fountain of his life passed 
away. His brief epitaph reads in Spanish : " In this 
sepulcher rest the bones of a man who was a Lion 
by name and still more by nature." 



CHAPTER II. 



Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon — Panfilo Narvaez — Cabeza de Vaca. 

Among the early adventurers who caroe to Florida 
was Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon. He was an officer of 
some distinction in Hispaniola. With six of his 
neighbors, he fitted out an expedition in 1520 for the 
purpose of procuring laborers. They landed at vari- 
ous points, receiving only kindness from the natives. 
By gifts and protestations of friendship he finally 
induced about one hundred and thirty to go aboard 
his vessels, and immediately struck sail for Hispaniola. 
One of his vessels foundered at sea, and all aboard 
went down. The other reached its destination; but 
the proud spirit of the Indians could not brook their 
fearful lot, and we are told that ' ' these Indians prof- 
ited them nothing, because they all died of care and 
grief." 

Not discouraged by the fruitless attempt, he again 
returned to Florida, in 1524. with three vessels. The 
Indians received them with every mark of friendship, 
until all fears were allayed. They then attacked them 
so vigorously that nearly the whole expedition was 
massacred, Vasquez de Ayllon perishing in the havoc. 
We cannot follow the various expeditions nor notice 
the duplicity, sufferings, and heroism of the Span- 
iards on the one hand, and the cunning, bloodthirsty 
spirit of the Indians on the other. This one adventure, 
with a change of names, numbers, and incidents, is a 
clear representation of nearly all. 

But we must not pass unnoticed the expedition of 



12 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



Panfilo Narvaez, who left Spain in 1527 with five 
vessels and six hundred men. Stopping at Hispa- 
niola, one hundred and forty of his men withdrew. 
In April, 1528, he reembarked with four hundred men 
and eighty horses. On the 15th of April he anchored 
in what is supposed to be Tampa Bay. The follow- 
ing day he took formal possession of the country in 
the name of the king of Spain. One hundred men re- 
mained with the vessels; and three hundred men, with 
forty horses (all that survived the voyage), undertook 
to make their way through the country. They met 
the fiercest opposition from the natives, and, worn by 
hunger, disease, and savage warfare, they pursued a 
northerly course, crossing the Withlacoochee and Su- 
wannee Rivers. The survivors at last reached either 
St. Mark's or Apalachee Bay. Here they constructed 
rude boats and all of them but four went aboard and 
attempted to make their way to the coast of Mexico. 
After untold perils, hardships, and hunger, the last 
of them perished on Mobile Bay. 

Cabeza de Vaca, with three others, refused to go 
aboard, went to the Indians and presented themselves 
as great "medicine men," and were spared. After 
seven years they succeeded in making their way 
westward, crossed the Mississippi River, and final- 
ly, meeting a party of Spaniards from Mexico, es- 
caped and reached Spain. 

" To De Soto is ascribed the discovery of the Mis- 
sissippi, but Cabeza de Vaca and his companions 
had rested upon its banks before De Soto left Spain." 
(Fairbanks. ) 



CHAPTER III. 



Hernando cle Soto. 

Among the Spanish cavaliers who undertook the 
conquest of Florida none occupies the prominence of 
Hernando de Soto. At an early age he went out un- 
der Don Pedro Arias de Avila, then governor of the 
West Indies, who placed him in command of a troop 
of horsemen. 

In 1531 he was dispatched with one hundred men 
and a supply of horses to join Pizarro against Peru. 
He became a valuable auxiliary to Pizarro, rose rap- 
idly, soon became second in command, and with a 
small force captured the Inca. 

To avoid disagreement between the leaders, he took 
his share of the vast booty and returned to Spain in 
1536. The laurels already won, and his great wealth 
and influence with the Spanish court, could not satisfy 
his restless and daring spirit. He undertook the con- 
quest of Florida. Having received from Spain the 
title "Governor of Cuba and Florida, and marquis 
of all the lands he might conquer," he landed at 
Tampa Bay May 25, 1539, with about one thousand 
men and three hundred and fifty horses. They soon 
began their northerly march, passing, as nearly as 
can now be ascertained, close by where Ocala now 
stands; thence northwest, to the region of Tallahas- 
see; thence northeast, crossing the Altamaha; thence, 
pursuing a westerly direction, passing near the pres- 
ent site of Rome, Ga., and crossing the Mississippi 
about Memphis. Such a journey, with no supplies 



14 



FIFTY-TWO YEAES IN FLORIDA. 



but such as could be secured from savage foes, and 
especially through an altogether unknown country, 
as far as we know, has no parallel in history. 

It was his intention to pursue a southwesterly 
course from thence into Mexico. Soon after cross- 
ing the river they met insurmountable difficulties. 
Disease arrested the commander, who, after making 
the best arrangements he could for his followers, died 
May 21, 1542, having spent about three years in his 
explorations. His followers buried him in the river, 
and, having constructed rude boats, they descended 
the river to its mouth, thence coasted westerly until 
they reached the Spaniards in Mexico. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Fort Caroline — The French Massacred — Retribution. 

Hitherto we have followed the Cavalier, whose 
object was glory and spoils, but we now come to a 
different class of emigrants. At this time Europe 
was in a state of war between the Romanists and 
Protestants. Charles IX. was king of France, and 
Coligny was head of the Protestant party. An ex : 
pedition was fitted out by the latter, for the purpose 
of extending the possessions of France, and at the 
same time, in case of reverses at home, to provide an 
asylum for the Huguenots. The expedition consisted 
of two vessels, and sailed in 1562, under Jean Ribault. 
A prosperous voyage brought them to Florida, near 
St. Augustine. Sailing northward, they landed at 
the mouth of St. John's River and erected a monu- 
ment of stone having on it the French coat of arms. 
Again sailing northward, they reached Port Royal, 
S. C, where they left a colony of twenty-five men. 
Ribault returned to France for supplies and rein- 
forcements, but, owing to the fierceness of the civil 
war then raging, he was unable to do anything for 
his settlement in America. His little colony waited 
long for his return, and at last, in despair, construct- 
ed a rude vessel and attempted to return to France, 
and were finally rescued by an English vessel. 

After the truce in France, Coligny turned his at- 
tention to America, and fitted out an expedition un- 
der Rene de Laudonniere, who had accompanied Ri- 
bault. They reached shore June 22, 1564. The de- 



L6 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



scription of their landing place corresponds to that of 
St. Augustine. The next day they sailed north and 
settled at what is known as St. John's Bluff. Here 
they built a fort, which they called Fort Caroline. 

A fleet of seven vessels was sent May 17, 1565, for 
the relief of the fort. Menendez set sail from Spain 
July 1, and reached St. Augustine August 29, the 
same day that the French cast anchor at the mouth 
of the St. John's. The Spaniards learning through 
the Indians the position of the French, a council of 
war was called. The officers generally were in favor 
of returning to Hispaniola and making preparations to 
attack the French in the spring, but Menendez could 
brook no delay and resolved to attack them at once. 
Preparations were made accordingly, and about day- 
break the Spanish vessels began moving toward the 
French transports. These, fearing the design of the 
Spaniards, slipped anchors and put out to sea. The 
Spaniards, seeing them, fired their heaviest guns, but 
at too great distance for effect. Pursuit was kept up 
all day, and, failing to overtake them, they returned 
at night. Ribault watched their movements, and at 
once resolved to make an attempt to surprise them. 
Accordingly on the 8th of September he reembarked 
with most of his able-bodied men, leaving Laudon- 
niere with an invalid force to defend Fort Caroline. 

Two days afterwards Ribault encountered a fearful 
gale, which drove him helplessly before it and strand- 
ed his vessels on the beach south of St. Augustine. 
In the meantime Menendez determined to make a 
prompt attack upon Fort Caroline. His force was 
about six hundred, and he supposed that of the 
French about the same, or perhaps a little more, 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IX FLORIDA. 



17 



Having obtained guides, he resolved, against the ad- 
vice of his officers, to move forward at once, especial- 
ly as the raging storm seemed to favor his design of 
surprising the French. Accordingly, on the 17th 
of September, at the head of five hundred men, he 
reached the vicinity of the fort. Lauclonniere had 
done all he could to repair the fort, but he was sick 
himself, and had only about sixteen well men in his 
command. The night of the 19th was stormy, and at 
dawn the sentinels were withdrawn under shelter. 
Soon after, Menendez reached the fort and commenced 
the attack, there was a sudden rush, a feeble resist- 
ance, and the fort was taken; the garrison was cut 
down without regard to age or sex; the captives were 
hung upon the neighboring trees, and an inscription 
in Spanish was placed over them: "I do this not as 
to Frenchmen, but as to Lutherans." 

Menendez changed the name of the fort to San 
Mateo, whose festival occurred the next day. His 
return to St. Augustine was signalized with great re- 
joicing, a solemn mass and Te Deum in honor of the 
victory. 

The news of the disaster to Ribault's vessels was 
carried to St. Augustine by Indians, and Menendez 
set out with a party of his men and reached Matan- 
zas inlet that night. In the morning he saw a num- 
ber of men on the opposite shore. One of them 
swam over and informed them that they were French- 
men under the command of Ribault, whose vessels 
had been wrecked. He demanded an unconditional 
surrender, and brought them over ten at a time, 
marched them out of sight of their comrades, and had 
them put to death. 
2 



L8 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



The Spanish court rejoiced greatly over the victo- 
ry. The pope sent Menendez a congratulatory letter, 
and the French court, in consequence of religious ani- 
mosities, received the news with perfect indifference. 
Menendez now applied himself zealously in strength- 
ening his forts and looking after his missions. 

Although the French court treated this outrage 
with indifference, the people did not; and one Do- 
minique de Gourgues fitted an expedition and ob- 
tained a license for a voyage to Africa to purchase 
slaves. After passing San Domingo, he revealed to 
his followers his true design, which they received 
gladly. On approaching the shore the Indians men- 
aced his landing with great bitterness; but learning 
that they were Frenchmen, and enemies to the Span- 
iards, they welcomed them to the shore, and brought 
their warriors to aid them. 

De Gourges surprised and captured the fort, and 
upon the same trees upon which the Frenchmen had 
been hung he hanged their executioners, and in the 
same place where Menendez had raised his inscrip- 
tion, "I do this, not as unto Frenchmen, but as unto 
Lutherans," De Gourges engraved on a pine board 
with a red-hot iron: "I do this not as unto Spaniards, 
but as unto traitors, thieves, and murderers." De 
Gourges, after returning thanks to God, went back to 
France, arriving in La Rochelle June 6, 1568. 



CHAPTER V. 



Indians Troublesome — Treaty of 1745 — Florida Ceded to 
Great Britain. 

Mbnendez had established his settlement at St. 
Augustine, destroyed the French settlement at Fort 
Caroline, and returned to Spain. He was at Mad- 
rid when De Gourges so fearfully avenged the trag- 
edy at Fort Caroline. He returned with funds and 
reinforcements for the farther amplifying of his 
plans. He brought missionaries for the conversion 
of the Indians, and immediately began to strengthen 
his defenses, and plant outposts and missions, at va- 
rious points along the St. John's River and the At- 
lantic coast. Five years after this the son of a chief 
became dissatisfied with the restraints and reproofs 
of the priest, and formed a conspiracy for the de- 
struction of all the priests and mission stations of the 
colony. The utmost savage ferocity and cruelty fol- 
lowed. Its details can be found in any of the histories 
of Florida. But we are not inclined to follow the 
bloody recitals; suffice it to say, no station outside of 
St. Augustine escaped. Some of the priests were 
slain in their robes before their altars. 

From this time English settlements had been 
formed at Jamestown, Va., and the Carolinas and at 
Savannah, Ga. Jealousy of territorial rights, antip- 
athy of nationality, with the bloodthirsty spirit of 
the savages, who were always ready to aid one party 
in the destruction of another, kept up a chronic war, 
savage in spirit and bloody in detail. But the de- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



sign of this work will not allow us to follow them 
farther. 

A treaty was concluded in 1745, between Great 
Britain and Spain, by which hostilities between the 
colonies were suspended, but they were renewed in 
1762, and Havana fell into the hands of the English. 
A treaty was finally concluded in 1763, by which Cuba 
was restored to Spain, and Florida was ceded to Great 
Britain. By treaty stipulation free toleration was 
granted to the Catholics in Florida. 

The policy of the English was very liberal to set- 
tlers. At the time of the change of flags the Spanish 
flag had floated over St. Augustine for one hundred 
and ninety years, but, with the exception of a few 
military and mission stations, the country was but 
little better known than in the days of De Leon. 
But liberal government, fertile soil, and genial cli- 
mate made rapid development of her resources. 

During our Revolutionary struggle Florida as- 
sumed considerable importance. The policy of Great 
Britain had been liberal to her, the citizens had just 
commenced developing their resources, and with al- 
most unanimity were loyal to the crown. Loyalists 
from the southern colonies fled to her as a rendezvous. 
To the British it was of incalculable importance; the 
strong fort at St. Augustine served them for a pris- 
on; predatory bands crossed the river and laid waste 
the country, carrying off provisions and slaves. The 
Indians also became an important factor in the strug- 
gle; but the war finally closed, and, in 1783, Florida 
was receded to Spain without the treaty stipulation 
of religious toleration, which she had demanded of 
Great Britain for Catholics. No tongue or pen can 



FIFTY- TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 21 

describe the sad disappointment of the settlers upon 
the change of flags. All progress was arrested. For 
twenty years every encouragement had been extend- 
ed to immigrants, and thousands had flocked in, built 
houses, opened farms, planted gardens, and were just 
beginning to extend to the markets of the world 
specimens of her golden fruits. But the change of 
government, policy, and religion paralyzed every- 
thing. Those who had left the colonies before the 
war could return, but the wounds were too fresh for 
those who had deserted them during that fearful 
struggle, and had identified themselves with their 
enemies, to find a welcome in the homes they had 
left. 

To every English and American settler, with but 
very few exceptions, a move was necessary. After 
the English and American settlers had left Florida 
the development was slow. The contracted policy of 
the government, and the hostility of the Indians, 
rendered progress impossible. 

Things continued in this state till near the opening of 
the war with Great Britain in 1812. As the prospects 
of the war became imminent it was supposed that 
Great Britain would seize Florida. To forestall that 
move, commissioners were sent by the United States 
to make stipulations for the occupancy of the terri- 
tory, and, in case of failure of negotiations, should 
there be room to entertain a suspicion that a design 
existed on the part of any other power to occupy 
Florida, they were authorized to take possession of 
the province with the forces of the United States. 
The Spanish government refused to surrender her 
province, and in the spring of 1812 settlers from be- 



22 



FIFTY- TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



tween the St. John's and St. Mary's Rivers, with 
numbers from Georgia, organized in the name of Pa- 
triots. Gen. J. H. Mcintosh was elected governor of 
the "Republic of Florida," and on the 17th of March 
captured Fernandina. Although the government of 
the United States did not acknowledge the acts of her 
agents, yet her troops occupied portions of the terri- 
tory for several years, during which time they con- 
ducted sanguinary wars with the Indians, especially 
in Alachua against King Philip and Billy Bowlegs. 

In August, 1814, the British occupied Pensacola, 
and Gen. Andrew Jackson was sent to dislodge them. 
He sent forward a flag of truce, which was fired upon, 
whereupon he took the town and fort by storm. The 
British and Indians escaped to their vessels. Jackson 
blew up their forts and marched to New Orleans. 
Col. Nichols, having been expelled from Pensacola, 
devoted his attention to forming an Indian and negro 
rendezvous upon the Appalachicola River. A fort 
was built of massive walls, heavy cannon were 
mounted, and the garrison was well armed. They 
were protected by the river in front, a dense swamp 
in the rear, and a creek above and below. It was 
garrisoned with three hundred British troops, a large 
number of Indians, and also a large number of ne- 
groes, who had escaped from the States. After the 
war was over the British troops were withdrawn, 
leaving the fort and defenses in the hands of the In- 
dians and negroes. In 1816 Col. Clinch reduced this 
fort and returned the negroes to their owners. 

Instigated by the British, the Seminole Indians, 
with the aid of other small tribes, kept up an almost 
unceasing predatory war with the whites bordering 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



23 



on Florida. In January, 1818, Gen. Jackson con- 
cluded a treaty of peace with the Creeks, and engaged 
them to aid him against the Seminoles. The follow- 
ing spring, with five hundred regulars, one thousand 
militia, and about two thousand Indians, he marched 
into Florida. At Miccosukee he routed the Indians, 
and found some three hundred scalps of men, women, 
and children, mostly fresh, which had recently been 
exhibited to grace their triumph. From thence he 
marched to Fowlstown, where he met but feeble re- 
sistance; from thence to St. Mark's, which was strong- 
ly fortified and had twenty guns. The fort surren- 
dered without resistance. The prophet Francis and 
another chief were captured and hanged. From St. 
Marks he marched to Suwannee, where he dispersed a 
large force and took many prisoners. Among the 
latter were two Englishmen, Arbuthnot and Ambris- 
ter. They were tried by court-martial for furnish- 
ing the Indians arms and ammunition, were found 
guilty, and executed. This for a time so humbled the 
Indians that the settlers enjoyed peace. 



PABT II. 



CHAPTER I. 

John J. Triggs — Elijah Sinclair — Donald MacDonell — John 

Slade. 

On the 22d of February, 1819, a treaty was con- 
cluded between Spain and the United States, in which 
Florida was ceded to the latter. This was ratified 
February 19, 1821, and the change of flags took place 
the same year, at St. Augustine July 10, and at Pen- 
sacola July 21. From that time it was under milita- 
ry control until March 3, 1822, when, by an act of 
Congress, it was organized into a territorial govern- 
ment. 

Soon after the exchange of flags population com- 
menced flowing rapidly into the Territory. The fer- 
tility of the soil and salubrity of the climate called 
loudly for population, and the response was prompt. 
The Indians were scattered all over the country, and 
looked with extreme jealousy upon all encroachments 
on the part of the whites; while the latter had no 
idea of leaving the vast and fertile lands to a few 
thousand Indians for hxmting grounds. 

Soon after immigration began we find the mission- 
ary in various places, but so brief and disconnected 
are the notices that we have been unable to gather 
the names and dates of their labors, so as to present 
them in anything like connected form. In 1821 
John J. Triggs was sent to a new mission called Ala- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



25 



paha (printed in Minutes Lapaha). It extended from 
the Oemulgee to the Florida line, and, from the tes- 
timony of old settlers, he extended his labors into 
Florida, and he was, from all that I can gather, the 
first Protestant minister that ever preached in the 
Territory, unless it may have been during the English 
occupancy of the same. Mr. Triggs was an English- 
man by birth, a strong reasoner, and a thorough 
Methodist, ever ready to defend the doctrines of his 
Church, and often in sarcastic language. He finally 
located, and spent his last years in Burke County, 
Ga. , an honored and useful local preacher. His name 
was often spoken of with highest respect during my 
first years in the State. 

Elijah Sinclair was appointed in 1822 to St. Mary's 
and Amelia Island. During the war of 1812 Fernan- 
dina had attained considerable importance. Being 
the northeast corner of Florida and a fine harbor, it 
became a center for exchange of contraband goods. 
I have heard my father-in-law, John Pottle, say that 
he had seen some hundreds of vessels in that port at 
once. After the war it declined in importance. 
Still for years there was a slave mart, and a consid- 
erable town there; but when the author served St. 
Mary's, in 1848, the town consisted of a few families 
who kept the lighthouse. 

After the purchase of Yellow Bluff by the Florida 
Railroad Company and the locating of the eastern 
terminus of the railroad there, it again came into im- 
portance and has continued to improve, though its 
development has not kept pace with the expectations 
of its friends. Here Mr. Sinclair found a few sym- 
pathizers, among them Donald MacDonell, who was 



26 FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 

one of the first fruits of Methodism in the State. 
His house was the home and preaching place of the 
young itinerant. He left a large family, whose de- 
scendants fill many important positions both in Flor- 
ida and Georgia. We might also name Mr. Seaton, 
who gave the young preacher a welcome. Smith 
says: "We may safely say that the first Protestant 
preaching in Florida was on Amelia Island." Yet 
the same year (1822) Mr. Triggs was sent to organ- 
ize a mission in Southwest Georgia. This mission 
embraced parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, 
to say nothing of his work the previous year on Ala- 
paha Mission, which doubtless extended into Middle 
Florida. Be that as it may, we know that in 1822 
the gospel was preached by Methodist itinerants in 
Florida, both east and west of the Suwannee River. 

In 1823 John Slade was sent as junior preacher 
with Mr. Triggs to the mission formed the previous 
year. Though not the first, he was among the first 
preachers who brought the gospel into the Territo- 
ry of Florida, and from his continued connection 
with the country, and his great success as a pioneer, 
he has been called the "Father of Methodism in 
Florida." He traveled one year, and then began his 
regular itinerant career on the Chattahoochee Mis- 
sion. He traveled several years and then located, 
giving much useful labor to the Church. He was 
readmitted at Tallahassee in 1845, when our Confer- 
ence was organized. Here I first met him. His 
locks were white; he was tall, straight, and com- 
manding in appearance; a powerful voice, though 
somewhat cracked by overstraining. He preached 
from a heart overflowing with love. To him the 



FIFTY- TWO YEAES IN FLORIDA. 



21 



cross, heaven, and hell were awful realities, and 
while he preached sinners trembled. The chief 
source of his power, under the Holy Ghost, was his 
own deep conviction of the awful truths he uttered. 
He continued a faithful and useful member of the 
Conference, till called to his reward in 1854. 



CHAPTER II. 



Missions in the East — J. N. Glenn — Allen Turner — J. L. Jerry 
— St. Augustine. 

While Triggs and Slade carried the gospel to the 
pioneers in the West J. N. Glenn was sent to St. Au- 
gustine. He was the first missionary whose work lay 
entirely in Florida. During the Spanish occupancy 
Protestants had been excluded, but now that it was 
open to them our Church was prompt to enter the 
open door. 

Mr. Glenn found only one member of his church 
in the "Ancient City," but succeeded during the 
year in organizing a society of ten members. 

Allen Turner was presiding elder of Oconee Dis- 
trict, which extended into Florida. . " He held a 
quarterly meeting in St. Augustine, the first ever 
held in our Territory. We are told that forty-two 
persons knelt at the communion. A church was 
finally built in the city, and for some years had a 
feeble existence; but after the growth at Jackson- 
ville and the opening of interior towns it was aban- 
doned." (Smith). The communicants referred to 
above were doubtless chiefly blacks. Methodism, 
from the first, in that place was successful with 
them; but the whites, nearly all being Minorcans and 
Roman Catholics, were inaccessible. The society of 
blacks maintained their existence until the mission 
was renewed by our Conference in 1845. 

I do not know the year, probably 1823 or 1824, 
when John L. Jerry was sent to St. Augustine, but 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



29 



from hearing him often speak of it I know it was 
not long after the change of flags. He was a native 
of North Carolina; born May 11, 1793. In 1818 he 
was admitted into the South Carolina Conference, 
and was one of the early missionaries sent to Flori- 
da. I know not the bounds of his work, but know 
from his own lips that it embraced St. Augustine, 
Cowford (Jacksonville), Fernandina, Newnansville, 
and Micanopy. The character of the work may be 
inferred by one or two incidents which I have heard 
him relate. 

In St. Augustine the population was nearly all 
Catholics. Soon after he began preaching there the 
priest met him, and after some violence of language 
absolutely forbade his preaching in the city. Mr. 
J erry simply pointed to the stars and stripes floating 
from the top of the fort, and said: "No Inquisition 
where that flag floats." His society of blacks still 
exists, though at the close of the war they went to 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

From St. Augustine to Cowford (Jacksonville), 
forty miles, he traveled without seeing a house; from 
thence to Newnansville, sixty-five miles, by Indian 
trail; thence to Micanopy, thirty miles, etc. These 
lonely rides the missionary made on horseback, car- 
rying his clothes, books, lunch, and a little sack of 
corn to feed his horse. He told me that during one 
of these lonely rides, his money reduced to less than 
one dollar, he stopped to lunch and feed his horse. 
Feeling deeply depressed, he went to a cluster of 
bushes to pray. Seeing something glitter in the sun- 
shine and supposing it was a button dropped by some 
Cavalier of the olden time, he thought he would go 



30 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



and pick it up as a relic. But what was his surprise 
when, on taking it in his hand, he found it a Spanish 
doubloon ($16). This met all his wants until Quarterly 
Conference, when he received his installment of mis- 
sionary money. Beyond this, it established in his 
mind that faith in God's special promises which he 
never lost. 

During the darkest days of the Indian war he went 
from post to post preaching the gospel, and, although 
massacres were frequent around him, he was never 
disturbed. He remarked to me: "The people say 
the reason I was not troubled was because the In- 
dians knew me, but I say God protected me." 

In 1836 he was on the Tallahassee District. At the 
organization of our Conference he was in the local 
ranks, but was readmitted at Monticello in 1846, and 
filled many of our most important places until, in 
1859, in holy triumph he passed to his reward. 



CHAPTER III. 



Tallahassee — Josiah Evans — Adam Wyrick. 

Ln 1824 Florida was made a district, and Josiah 
Evans was appointed presiding elder. The immigra- 
tion to Middle Florida had been so rapid that the In- 
dians had retired to the east and south of the Suwan- 
nee. The influx of population had been phenomenal. 
Tallahassee, its capital, was rapidly becoming a center 
of wealth, fashion, and refinement. Mr. Evans was 
a man of rather rough exterior, yet dauntless, ener- 
getic, and spiritual. He presided over the district, 
and was nobly sustained by such men as Morgan C. 
Turrentine, John L. Jerry, with other itinerant and 
local preachers, the laymen giving efficient aid. It 
was a year of great prosperity, and five hundred and 
seventeen whites and one hundred and seven blacks 
were reported from the district that year. 

In 1825 a church was built in Tallahassee. Josiah 
Evans was still presiding elder. The builder was 
Rev. C. Woodbury, the father of Rev. S. Woodbury, 
of our Conference. The house was a plain wooden 
structure without ceiling, paint, sash, or blinds; but 
board shutters supplied their places, and for many 
years this building served the people for a place of 
worship, and, as far as I know, was the first Meth- 
odist church built in Florida. I have been unable to 
obtain the names of the missionaries for this year, 
but Chattahoochee and St. Augustine were among 
the appointments. The country around Tallahassee 
was filling up, and doubtless some of the local 



32 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



preachers who made their mark in early Methodism 
in the State were here at that time, though we can 
only speak for certain of Mr. Woodbury. We have 
found but meager reports of the work in 1825; but, 
as seen above, Josiah Evans still filled the Tallahassee 
District, Chattahoochee being served by Elisha Cal- 
laway and J esse Boring. 

We have been unable to procure any data of the 
work in 1826 and 1827; but in 1828 Tallahassee was 
made a station, it having been served previously as 
one of the appointments of a circuit, Josiah Evans, 
presiding elder, and Josiah Freeman, preacher in 
charge. 

Smith says: u The Florida work still went on in 
the midst of difficulties. A body of settlers had set- 
tled on Pea River, in the west of Florida, and a camp 
meetiDg was held there. Although there were not 
more than one hundred and fifty people present, there 
were twenty-seven conversions. In the far west of 
Florida, at Homes Valley Mission, there was also a 
successful work." 

Adam Wyrick and D. MacDonell were on the Leon 
Circuit, which included Leon, Jefferson, Madison, 
and Gadsden Counties, extending from the Apa- 
lachicola to the Suwannee River, and from Georgia 
to the Gulf. Mr. Wyrick traveled on horseback 
through the country from Monroe Circuit;, Georgia, 
to reach this work. He was a man of great physical 
power, intellectual, earnest, and practical. I do not 
know what year he located, but when 1 came to Flori- 
da he was an honored local preacher. My first night 
in Monticello was spent at his house. He loved the 
preachers, loved to talk of the early days of the itin- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IX FLORIDA. 



88 



erant in Florida. He was a ripe counselor and a fast 
friend. He lived to very great age, and died in peace 
a few years since. Isaac Boring was moved from 
Keowee Circuit, South Carolina, to Pensacola, Fla. 
There was general prosperity reported from the Ter- 
ritory this year, with an increase of three hundred 
and fourteen members. 

In 1829 Z. Dowling was sent as presiding elder to the 
Tallahassee District, where he remained four years, 
John D. Bowen, preacher in charge. They had a 
year of prosperity: thirty-five white and twenty-four 
colored members were added to the Church. John 
F. Weathersby traveled in the eastern part of the 
State, where, Smith tells us: U A pole cabin with dirt 
floor, was his resting place, and a ride of twenty-five 
miles, through an untracked wild, was needful to 
reach a congregation of half a dozen hearers. This 
was his daily work." 

In 1830 Isaac Boring served Tallahassee Station, 
and John W. Talley, Pensacola. I will here give a 
few reminiscences of Talley, as recorded by Smith, 
to illustrate the life of the missionaries to Florida in 
those days: "He left Columbia, S. C, on horseback, 
spent a few days in Greene County (Georgia), and 
rode through the State to Columbus. Here he pur- 
chased a sulky, but his horse, taking fright at a thun- 
der storm, ran away, broke the sulky to pieces, and 
though he was only badly bruised he narrowly es- 
caped death. He then refitted and turned to the 
south. He was now in the Indian Nation. He 
reached a white settlement in Henry County, Ala., 
the next day. Making his way through the flat 
woods of Eastern and Southern Alabama, he pressed 
3 



34 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



on. Houses were few and accommodations poor in- 
deed. At a little log cabin, the home of a hunter, he 
was sheltered for the night, and fed upon musty corn 
bread, the meal beaten in a mortar, and the tough 
lungs of a deer fried in rancid bacon grease, and corn 
coffee, sweetened with sirup. On such fare the mis- 
sionary could not break his long fast, and it was fif- 
teen miles to the next house. He found, however, an 
oasis in the desert (a widow's neat cottage and well- 
supplied table). Thence he pushed through the rain, 
to the house of the first Methodist he had seen since 
leaving Columbus. After reaching the Florida sea- 
coast, and crossing Escambia Bay, he found himself 
still ten miles from Pensacola, and with no choice but 
to walk. He began bravely enough, but soon his 
limbs gave out. He reached the city, however, the 
next day." 

We have been unable to procure the minutes of the 
Conferences prior to 1846; hence the works, who 
served them, and when, especially in the eastern part 
of our territory, we have to leave for revelation be- 
fore the great white throne. A published sermon of 
Rev. E. L. T. Blake, preached upon the fiftieth anni- 
versary of that church, has given us much informa- 
tion upon which we have drawn. 

We know that John L. Jerry had married and set- 
tled his family near the Suwannee, and devoted his 
wonderful energies to his Master's cause, a large part 
of his time being given to the east. 

James Hutto was also a pioneer in that section, 
whose name was precious among the people when I 
first came to this country. Among the local preach- 
ers were "Uncle Dick" and Thomas Taylor, with 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



35 



others of precious memory. " Uncle Dick" Taylor 
was a man of wonderful unction; his whole soul 
seemed to be in his work, and perhaps few in his 
day were honored with more conversions to Christ 
than he. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Extracts from the Diary of Isaac Boring. 

I will here favor the reader with some extracts 
from the diary of Rev. Isaac Boring, as published by 
his son, Rev. I. W. Boring, in the Florida Christian 
Advocate: 

Diary. 

On Monday, the 28th of January, 1828, I left my 
father's house for the seat of the South Carolina 
Conference, held at Camden, S. C. The mode of 
travel was horseback. Starting from J ackson Coun- 
ty, Ga., I arrived at Camden February 6; was ap- 
pointed to the Pensacola Mission February 14; set out 
for my appointment; went via Augusta, Macon, and 
Columbus, Ga. ; crossed the Chattahoochee River at 
Marshall's Ferry; traveled thirty-three miles, which 
brought me to the Creek Nation on Wednesday, 5th of 
March; rode forty miles to the Choctawhatchee set- 
tlement. 

On Wednesday, March 12, 1828, I reached Pensa- 
cola. I find by counting the distance traveled each 
day that I have ridden six hundred and twenty miles 
since I left Camden. Brother Hardy is in Pensaco- 
la, and intended to leave to-morrow, but he has con- 
cluded to wait another day, to give me an introduc- 
tion to the people, and necessary instructions about 
the work. 

On Friday, March 14, Brother Hardy leaves Pen- 
sacola, and takes my horse at one hundred dollars. I 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



37 



find that we have no place of worship here, but use 
the courthouse. I have boarded with Dr. Fanda since 
I arrived here. 

On March 19th I rode to Mr. Banians', and preached 
in his schoolhouse to a small congregation. 

On the 21st I preached at Mr. Gains's. Here we 
have a small society. 

On the 25th I returned to Pensacola and commenced 
to board with Brother Hannah at $12 per month. 

On the 2d of May Brother Josiah Evans, the pre- 
siding elder, arrived, and held our Quarterly Confer- 
ence. 

On the 19th of June I left Brother Hannah, and 
moved into a small house in the lower part of town. 
I am not pleased with my situation. I feel very un- 
willing to live by myself so far from any family. I 
have sought in vain to get board with a private fam- 
ily in this place; only at Brother Hannah's, and it is 
not practicable for me to board there at present. I 
often think of my father's house; I know I could find 
a lodging place there; but I am far away from home 
and among strangers, and some who appear to be un- 
friendly toward me. But I remember that my Mas- 
ter before me had not where to lay his head. I am 
better treated than he was. I have sinned against 
God and deserve punishment, but J esus never sinned. 

On Sunday, June 22, for the first time the citizens 
of Pensacola met in the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
to worship the God of heaven. At nine o'clock Sab- 
bath school commenced; at half -past ten I preached 
from the Psalm cxxii., first verse: "I was glad 
when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of 
the Lord." At 4 p.m. I preached to the colored peo- 



38 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



pie from 1 Peter v. 6: "Humble yourselves there- 
fore under the mighty hand of God, that he may ex- 
alt you in due time." I preached at night from Prov- 
erbs viii. 35, 36. 

On Thursday, the 26th, I rode out to the canton- 
ment and preached to the soldiers. 

On the 1st of July I moved to Dr. Fanday's, where 
I expect to reside during my stay in Pensacola. 

On Thursday, the 26th, I rode to Mr. Eubanks'. 
Only two persons beside the family met. I gave a 
short talk. Mr. Eubanks wrote me a letter, inform- 
ing me that he was unwilling to have preaching any 
longer in his house; so I left no appointment. After 
the meeting closed I rode to Black Creek, and preached 
the next day. 

On Saturday, the 28th, I preached at John's; rode 
in the evening to Mr. Ward's and spent the night. 

On Sunday, the 29th, my horse had to swim the San- 
ta Fe Creek; I was carried over on a raft. I then rode 
to Rocky Creek and swam my horse, riding him. I 
got wet, but received no injury. I soon got to Dell's 
Meetinghouse and preached. After service went to 
Maxy Dell's. 

On Monday, the 30th, I rode to Mr. Burnett's and 
preached. I spoke with liberty and plainness. 

On Tuesday, the 31st, I preached near Mrs. Love's 
in an old dwelling they have fixed up for divine 
services. 

On Wednesday, April 1st, I preached at Wanton's. 

On Thursday, the 2d, I rode to Palatka [spelled in 
the diary, Paladkey]. 

On Friday, the 3d, I crossed the river; preached 
at Brother Rushe's to a few persons. 



FIFTY-TWO YEABS IN FLOEIDA. 



39 



On Saturday, the 4th, I rode to town [St. Augus- 
tine], and found that Brother Evans, the presiding 
elder, had preached in the morning. 

I preached again on Sunday, and administered the 
sacrament of the Lord's Supper; the Presbyterian 
minister communed with us, but the Episcopalian 
minister did not. 

On Tuesday night, at the request of Mr. Ball, I 
met a few colored persons in a small meetinghouse 
of many years' standing, which has been occupied by 
a small society of colored Baptists. 

On Wednesday evening, at the request of Mr. Ball, 
I held a meeting with a few soldiers. 

On Friday, the 10th, I fasted and prayed; at night 
met the Methodist class and examined all the mem- 
bers present. We had the good Spirit with us. 

On Sunday, the 12th, at 11 a.m., I heard Mr. Alex- 
ander, of the Presbyterian Church, preach; I preached 
at night. 

On Sunday, the 19th, I preached in Jacksonville, 
filling all the appointments of the week; in the even- 
ing I set out for Brother Nelson's, but got lost, and 
found myself near Mr. Eubanks'. It was then dark 
and I was about four miles from Brother Nelson's. I 
concluded I would try to reach his house. I started 
and got about one mile; my horse left the road, and 
I could not see the place. I got off my horse and got 
upon my knees and prayed for direction. I concluded 
to try and get back to Mr. Eubanks'. I succeeded, 
and the family appeared to receive me kindly. I had 
better liberty to talk that night with the family. 

On Monday I rode to Mr. Gary's, where I was 
kindly entertained by the family during my stay. 



40 



FIFTY-TWO YEAES IN FLOKIDA. 



On Tuesday, the 21st, I rode to Brother Phillips' 
and preached. 

On Wednesday, the 22d, I rode to Mr. Johns's with 
the expectation of preaching, but was disappointed in 
a congregation. The people in this settlement gen- 
erally call themselves Baptists, and do not care to 
hear the Methodists preach. I read a chapter, sang 
a hymn, prayed, and closed the meeting. I told them 
I would not have another opportunity until they 
were more anxious to hear preaching. In the after- 
noon I rode to Mr. Ward's and found about one 
dozen persons present waiting to hear me preach. 
I did so, and left an appointment for my next round 
at Mr. Carter's, in the same settlement. I hope 
the Lord intends to raise himself up a people in this 
place. 

On Thursday, the 23d, I preached at Dell's Meet- 
inghouse. (Appointments all filled.) 

On Thursday, the 30th, I set out early in the morn- 
ing for St. Augustine. I took a wrong road, and 
after traveling over it for some time I left it and wan- 
dered through the woods and through a very bad 
thicket, and got back to the St. John's River after 
traveling for three hours and a quarter. When I got 
to the river I could not tell whether I was above or 
below Palatka, and of course could not tell what di- 
rection I ought to pursue. I got off my horse and 
got upon my knees and tried to lay my case before 
the Lord and ask for the guidance of his Spirit. 
When I arose and got up on my horse I came to the 
conclusion that I was below Palatka. I traveled ac- 
cordingly, and soon got on the right road, and felt 
that the good Lord had heard my prayer and set me 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IX FLORIDA. 



41 



aright. Late in the evening I got to St. Augustine, 
and put up at Brother Davis*. 

On Sunday. May 3. I preached at the Government 
House. I announced that I would preach the next 
Sabbath in the Methodist church now building. 

On Tuesday evening I met the class. 

On Saturday, the 9th, I attended court in order to 
hear law points argued by Mr. Willis, of Georgia. 

On Sunday. May 10, 1829, I commenced divine 
service in the Methodist Episcopal Church. The 
congregation was good. My text was Matthew xxi., 
first part of the 13th verse. I was about the middle 
of my discourse when a fire broke out near the 
church. The people left the church to put out the 
fire. They soon returned, and I finished my discourse. 
Preached again in the evening; text, Matthew xxi. 24. 
Preached again at night from 1 Samuel xii. 24, 25. 
I -poke with considerable liberty. This closed the 
labors of the day. after dedicating the first Protes- 
tant church that was ever built in St. Augustine, the 
oldest town in the United States. I humbly hope the 
Lord will accept the house, and honor it with the con- 
version of many souls. 

On Sunday, the 17th, I preached in Jacksonville. 
For the first time, I was allowed to preach in the 
courthouse. [He does not state in what house he had 
preached before this. ] During divine service a drunk- 
en man made so much noise that Mr. Hart very po- 
litely led him out of the house. After preaching I met 
the society, filling all the appointments of the week. 

On Sunday, the 21th, I preached at Mrs. Louis'. 

On Monday, the 25th, I preached at Wanton's, 
after which I rode twenty-five miles to the Seminole 



4:2 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



Agency. While riding through the rain and dark, 
with no human being with me, my soul was comfort- 
ed on the reflection of the omnipresence of my Sav- 
iour; I felt he was near to bless and preserve me. 

On Tuesday, the 26th, I visited Camp King [I learn 
it is a few miles west of Ocala] with an intention to 
ask leave to preach to the soldiers. There were but 
a few present, and they were at work. I therefore 
did not think it wise under the circumstances to ask 
permission. I asked the commanding officer if it 
would be agreeable to have preaching among his 
men. He said it would be on the Sabbath day, and 
requested me to call when I could. 

Wednesday, the 27th. I intend to visit a large 
town of Indians, in order to attempt to preach to 
them. I intend first to preach to the blacks among 
them. I am in hopes that if the blacks who can under- 
stand English will hear preaching they will influence 
the Indians to hear me. I go to them not knowing 
what will be the consequences. I hope it is of the 
Lord, and that the Lord will open the door for his 
gospel to be preached to this nation of Indians. Into 
thy hands, O Lord, I commend myself and the cause 
in which I am engaged. Thy will be done. 

On Thursday, the 28th, I rode about six miles to a 
town of negroes near a town of Indians called Hicks- 
town. I made my business known to an old man 
named Pompey, the father and grandfather, and a 
ruler of them. The old man appeared very glad that 
I had come to talk to them of the Almighty. They 
started and let the rest know that I would talk to 
them. They soon began to gather, making a congre- 
gation of about fifty persons. 



FIFTY- TWO YEAES IX FLOEIDA. 



Sunday, Decern ber 14, 1828. To-day I attended the 
Sabbath school for the last time. The school num- 
bers about twenty. May the Lord bless and preserve 
the children! At 11 a.m. I preached to a large con- 
gregation; at half -past three preached to a large con- 
gregation of blacks. At the close four came forward 
and joined the Church on trial. I preached to a large 
congregation at night, and at the close of the services 
many came forward with tears in their eyes to bid 
me farewell; the colored people also. 

On Monday, the 15th. about twelve o'clock, I left 
Pensacola and rode to Brother Gaines's, about twenty- 
four miles. I rode next day twenty -seven miles to 
Brother Briton's, and about midnight started on my 
journey, and rode fifty-six miles to Claiborne, Ala. 

On Thursday I walked to Fort Claiborne. Near the 
fort is the old burying ground, where lie many sol- 
diers who left their homes and friends to fight for 
their country, and far from home fell by death's cold 
hand. 

On Friday, 19th, I set out for Tuscaloosa, and, after 
riding several days, arrived there on the 24th. 

On Saturday, the 27th. I visited Bishop Soule, and 
heard him preach on the next day; also vYilliam 
Winans. 

On Monday night four converted Choctaw Indians 
came into the altar, and by an interpreter they spoke 
to the audience. A collection of one hundred and 
seventeen dollars was taken for the Choctaw Mission. 

On Thursday, January 1, 1829, I set out for my 
father's. After riding eight days I arrived at home. 

On the 19th I left home for Conference, held at 
Charleston, S. C. 



44 FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 

On Tuesday, the 27th, I arrived at Charleston, and 
stopped with Mrs. Humphreys, widow of the mis- 
sionary, who has no doubt gone to receive the faith- 
ful missionary's reward. 

On Wednesday, 28th, Conference commenced its 
session; no bishop present except McKendree. On 
the first day of the Conference I was elected elder. 

On Sunday, February 1st, I attended the Cumber- 
land Church, and after a sermon by Dr. Pierce the 
deacons and elders were ordained by Bishop Mc- 
Kendree. 

On September 7th the Conference closed, and ap- 
pointments were read. I was appointed to the St. 
Augustine and Alachua Mission. I was much aston- 
ished and hurt at the appointment. I hope it will be 
for the glory of God. I am informed that I am to re- 
ceive fifty dollars from the missionary society for my 
support. I have received twelve dollars and fifty 
cents of the money. I left for my work on the 21st, 
arrived at St. Augustine on the 23d, and made ar- 
rangements to board with Brother Davis. 

On Thursday, 24th, visited the old fort to see a man 
confined for horse stealing. He told me he intended 
to reform and be a better man. I talked and prayed 
with him. 

On Thursday, 26th, I visited several families, and at 
night preached in what is called the Government 
House. 

On Sunday, March 1st, I attended the place appoint- 
ed for worship. Heard Mr. Henderson, an Episcopa- 
lian, read a very short sermon. In the evening and 
at night I preached. 1 was aided by the good Spirit 
in both sermons. I trust they were not in vain. On 



FIFTY-TWO TEARS IN FLORIDA. 



4;» 



this day. now past forever, I beheld more of the 
fruits of popery than I ever expected to see. In the 
afternoon I saw many lads roaming the streets with 
curious apparel, and bells hung about them ringing, 
like a stock of cattle. I saw several men, natives of 
this place, with hands and faces made as black as 
Ethiopians. They had on very unusual garments 
and artificial faces; some dressed in women's clothes. 
Just before sundown I saw about half a dozen females 
dancing along the streets before a drum and violin 
some one was playing. The Catholics call such con- 
duct a masquerade. 

On Tuesday evening our class met at Brother Da- 
vis' house; several whites attended, and about twen- 
ty blacks. There was considerable feeling among 
the blacks, and some among the whites. I feel en- 
couraged that God will revive his work on the mis- 
sion this year. 

On Thursday, 5th of March, I rode thirty-five 
miles to George Pettrey's, and on the next day 
preached at St. John's church; met the class after 
preaching; put up with Mr. Reed for the night. 

On Saturday, 7th, rode fifteen miles to Mr. Hen- 
drick's, where I expect to remain until to-morrow. 
May the Lord pour out his Spirit upon me, and en- 
able me to do his will at all times. 

On Sunday, 8th, preached at Jacksonville, and 
dined with Mrs. Hart, and heard that some members 
of our church have been dancing. That afternoon 
I started for Brother Nelson's, got lost, and wan- 
dered through the woods in the dark. I got to Broth- 
er Nelson's in the night. 

On Monday, 9th, rode to Mr. Eubanks', nine miles 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



from Jacksonville, preached to a small congrega- 
tion, rode eighteen miles to Brother Phillips'; and 
the next day left early and rode twenty-five miles to 
Mr. J ohns's, where I preached to a few persons. 

On the 13th rode to Dell's Meetinghouse, and 
found two persons. We prayed together, and I went 
home with Brother Dell and wife, who were the two 
persons present. 

On Saturday, 14th, rode eighteen miles to Mr. Bur- 
nett's, and preached to a few persons. 

On Sunday, 15th, I rode six miles and preached. I 
labored hard; I fear, to no profit. 

On Tuesday I rode seventeen miles to Mr. Wanton's 
and preached. After the meeting closed I made 
some inquiry about the Indians in Florida. I think 
the gospel might be preached to them. I feel a great 
inclination to attempt it. 

Wednesday, 18th, I rode forty-five miles to Palatka. 
Next day I crossed the St. J ohn's river and rode two 
miles to Brother Rushe's. No one attended preaching. 

On Friday, 20th, I rode twenty miles to St. Augus- 
tine, and put up at Brother Davis'. 

On Sunday, 22d, I preached morning and night, 
and next day I rode to St. John's meetinghouse 
and preached. 

On the 25th I crossed the river in a small boat. It 
was so stormy no one attended preaching. I spent the 
night with Mrs. Hart. 

On Sunday, the 5th, I preached in St. Augustine; 
preached in the evening to the colored people. 

On Sunday, the 12th, I preached in Jacksonville. 

On Monday, the 13th, I rode to Mr. Gary's, and 
the next day preached at Black Creek. I wrote a let- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



17 



ter to Brother Roberts, living in the Alligator Set- 
tlement [now Lake City], stating that if spared I 
would hold a two-da ys' meeting in his settlement on 
the loth and 16th of August. 

On Monday, the 20th, I preached at Wanton's. I 
had liberty in speaking, but was disturbed by some 
drunken men. 

On Tuesday I rode to the Agency. 

On Wednesday, the 22d, I visited Big Swamp and 
preached to about forty or forty-five blacks. These 
people heard me gladly. I lectured to them on the 
relation of the rich man to Lazarus, and .showed 
them the end of the wicked and the righteous. After 
preaching I was told by some of the most intelligent 
of the blacks that a great change for the better had 
taken place with these people since I commenced 
preaching to them. I afterwards asked another con- 
cerning it, and he told me that several of them were 
leaving off their bad habits. O, may this people con- 
tin ue to reform until they become fearless Christians! 
After preaching I got an interpreter and set out to 
visit several chiefs. The first called upon was Olack- 
limoco. 1 requested the interpreter to tell him who 
I was. He said he was glad to see me. I then told 
him through the interpreter what I had visited him 
for. He said he had nothing against my preaching 
to his people, and that he would like to hear me him- 
self, but he could not do anything toward giving me 
liberty to preach to the Indians until the chiefs as- 
sembled together, which would be next Friday. He 
also stated that he would name my request, and do 
his best to get the chiefs to grant me the privilege. 
I am much pleased with the chief, and think that if 



4:8 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLOKIDA. 



all the chiefs of the nation were like him it would not 
be long before the Indians would hear the gospel of 
Christ. After taking my leave of the chief I, with 
the interpreter, went to Tuskenah-hah. I conversed 
with him as I did with Olack-limoco. He observed 
that I was traveling alone among them. I was cer- 
tainly trying to do them good. He said he was the 
governor of that part of the nation, and when the 
chiefs met at the time already mentioned he would 
lay my request before them and try and get them to 
grant it. The interpreter and I then went to John 
Hicks, who is looked upon by the whites as the chief 
of the nation. He directly told me he was opposed 
to the Indians having the gospel preached to them. 
I labored to convince him that he was in error, but 
he appeared to regard little what I said. I told him 
of the Cherokees and Choctaws, who had heard and 
understood the talk of the Almighty. He observed 
that they were mixed with the whites and were not 
full-blooded Indians. I then told him that I had 
seen several full-blooded Choctaw Indians, and heard 
two of them speak. He then replied that he had 
been opposed to preaching, and was determined to 
continue so. I also told him that persons who would 
not hear the good word and continued to do bad dis- 
pleased the Almighty, and when they died would go 
to the bad world. To this he replied that many of 
the whites did not attend to the good talk, and that 
they were as wicked as himself. What a lamentable 
truth! Will not the heathen rise up at the day of 
judgment and condemn many who are raised under 
the sound of the gospel? After finding it useless to 
speak any more, I parted with the tool of Satan and 



FIFTY-TWO YEAES TN FLOEIDA. 



4:9 



returned to the Agency about sunset. The influ- 
ence of Hicks is such that I am afraid he will have a 
majority of the chiefs in opposing the gospel. If 
they do oppose, I cannot tell what will be the result; 
but I am of the opinion that the blacks may be 
preached to, and if they are I think it will not be 
long before the prejudices of the Indians will be re- 
moved, and then they will gladly hear the gospel. 
May the Lord hasten the day when the barriers will 
be removed when these children of the woods shall 
joyfully hear the gospel, which is able to gladden 
their hearts during their pilgrimage on earth! 

On Thursday, the 23d, I rode to Palatka, a distance 
of fifty-live miles. Next day 1 crossed the river and 
preached at Brother Bruskens'. 

On Saturday I rode to St. Augustine and put up 
with Mr. Streeter. 

On Sunday, the 26th, I preached in St. Augustine. 
4 



CHAPTEK V. 



Indian Atrocities — John L. Jerry — James B. Jackson — W. 
M. Crumley— R. H. Howren. 

In 1831 John W. Talley was stationed in Talla- 
hassee, John C. Simmons at St. Augustine and Nas- 
sau Mission. Camp meetings were then held in 
Florida, and were seasons of general revival. This 
year one was held near Tallahassee. In 1832 our only 
information is that T. P. C. Shelman was in Talla- 
hassee, and thirty- six members were added to the 
church. In 1833 J. W. Talley was presiding elder, 
and James T. Johnson pastor. The district em- 
braced all of Middle Florida, and Decatur, Thomas, 
and Lowndes Counties in Georgia. 

St. Augustine District was served by George A. 
Chappell, and embraced that part south of the Al- 
tamaha. 

We can now only give outline of these works; the 
men who served them have crossed the flood, leaving 
better places for us who have followed them. 

The writer of these imperfect lines often pauses, 
searches his little library to see if this is all that can 
be said of these heroic men and their work, but re- 
turns to review long stretches of miles — here and 
there a herdsman's cabin, now and then breaking the 
forest solitude with songs of praise, here and there 
gathering a few settlers in a private house and 
preaching, forming little societies of persons 4 4 who 
earnestly desire to flee from the wrath to come, and 
to be saved from their sins. " But who is the preach- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



51 



er? What are the bounds of his work? From the 
great white throne it will be answered: "Inasmuch 
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my 
brethren, ye have done it unto me." 

During these years J. L. Jerry, James Hutto, 
John Slade, and others were laboring in East Florida 
and Southeast Georgia. Dr. Blake has given nearly 
a full list of presiding elders and pastors of Talla- 
hassee. In 1834 A. H. Mitchell was pastor; in 1835 
T. C. Benning was pastor, and Joshua Knowles suc- 
ceeded him in 1836. During that year he became 
proprietor of a magazine and remained there some 
time. He changed his relations later to the Protes- 
tant Episcopal Church. 

We here insert an extract written by him to Rev. G. 
G. Smith: "My next appointment was Tallahassee. 
I arrived there the last Saturday in December, 1835, 
preached on Sunday, and married my first couple on 
Sunday night. I was very cordially received by the 
people. Rev. John L. Jerry was my presiding elder. 
The Seminole war had just opened, and his district 
comprised the whole Indian territory. He was a man 
of courage and zeal, and neither tomahawk nor scalp- 
ing knife drove him from his work." (Smith, p. 298.) 
I suppose it will be as well here as elsewhere to give 
some more extracts from Smith's "History of Metho- 
dism in Georgia and Florida:" "In the years 1837 
and 1838 in Florida there was call for the highest 
heroism. The cruel and unconquerable Seminoles 
were waging exterminating war, and the preachers 
held their own at the risk of their lives. That grand 
man, John L. Jerry, whose heart led him to face all 
dangers, still mustered his band of heroes, and from 



52 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



blockhouse to blockhouse his work moved on. He 
says in a letter to the Christian Advocate and Journal: 
' On Monday we heard that the Indians had attacked 
the house of old Father Baker and killed him, his 
wife, and one grandchild; the other was found in his 
arms, though wounded.' He now went to Suwannee 
with Ho wren, and preached to a large congregation of 
officers and citizens, some of whom had come forty 
miles. 4 When I returned home my dear wife was 
overjoyed to see me. They were expecting an at- 
tack on Monticello. She had two pistols, a dirk, and 
a tomahawk to defend herself and her children.' Yet 
he and his preachers still went on with their camp 
meetings. Alas! some of the preachers did not escape 
so well. Tilman D. Purifoy was returning home 
when he heard that the Indians had attacked his 
home and killed his family. He found his wife hor- 
ribly wounded, but still living. She had been shot by 
seven balls, tomahawked, and scalped, but strangely 
recovered. His negroes lay about the yard killed, and 
his two children, after being murdered, were burned 
up in the house. This then was the condition of the 
work in Florida, and these the perils which those 
brave men had to face." (Page 330. ) 

"James B. Jackson was admitted on trial in 1838. 
He had been a very poor boy who worked as a 
day laborer, and, although quite a youth, could not 
read. He was employed by a good Presbyterian 
to pick cotton. The children of the family took 
great interest in him and taught him his letters. 
One of the daughters gave him a New Testament, 
which was then his first and only book. He spelled 
it through. Its influence and their counsel brought 



FIFTY-TWO TF.ARS IN FLORIDA. 



53 



him to Christ. He now applied himself to study, 
and improved rapidly; he began to teach, was licensed 
to preach, and entered the Conference. He rose to 
high place, was on all kinds of work, stations, cir- 
cuits, and districts, and always did his work well. 
His mind was very philosophical in cast, he was a 
line metaphysician, and perhaps too fond of specula- 
tion. After he had been nearly thirty years in active 
service in Georgia he was transferred to Florida, to 
meet a demand in that Conference. There was 
promise of much work before him when, in a railroad 
accident he was so wounded as to soon die, but not 
lief ore he had left his testimony to the precious con- 
solations of the truths he had preached." (Page 
333.) 

"W. M. Crumley was admitted the same year, and 
appointed to Madison, Fla. Leaving the bleak moun- 
tains of Habersham County, Ga. , while yet the Jan- 
uary snows were on the ground, he made his way 
over the muddy hills of Middle Georgia, into the 
wire-grass country. Here he was forced to swim 
creeks, to travel for almost whole days through the 
wide sloughs of that flat country. At last he reached 
his circuit. The people had fled to the blockhouses, 
and those who were at home were expecting every 
moment to be forced again to these shelters. He 
traveled from blockhouse to blockhouse. There 
was, of course, nothing like Church organization, 
and the only support accorded to the preacher was 
that which the people offered without solicitation. 
He was compelled to travel through long stretches 
of almost unbroken pine woods to find a home in 
the cabin of some adventurous stock raiser, or in 



54 



FIFTY-TWO TEAKS IN FLOEIDA. 



the hummock country to find shelter with some 
planter, whom neither exile from society nor dread 
of Indians could force from his rich cotton fields. 
To bear all this exposure, and, worse than this, to 
have a gentle, loving wife to submit to it, was the 
introduction of this young and timid itinerant to his 
work. He had left his only child, a little girl, with 
her grandparents in Habersham, and brought only 
his young wife with him. The tender parents were 
very anxious about their child. Crumley had one 
dollar left when he reached Florida. He found a 
family almost starving; the husband had been killed 
by the Indians, and the widow and children were 
without bread. He gave them his last cent. In 
Madison he went to the post office, and found a letter 
from his kinsfolk concerning his daughter, but alas! 
the postage was twenty-five cents, and he did not have 
a farthing. Sadly he returned the letter to the post- 
master and went to prayer meeting. After it was 
over the owner of the solitary candle found a five- 
dollar note in the candlestick. As no one claimed it, 
he gave it to the preacher. The work on which 
young Crumley was had to be marked out. The In- 
dians still lurked in the swamps, and often as he 
traveled his way through the forest he would see 
where the bullet of an Indian had spilled the blood of 
a foe. Once he found that the family with whom he 
had hoped to spend the night had fled to the block- 
house, six miles away, and it was dark. At the 
great hazard of being shot by the Indians, or mis- 
taken in the dark by the whites as an Indian and shot 
by them, he reached the fort, and succeeded in mak- 
ing himself known. He passed the year in safety, 



FIFTY-TWO YEAES IN FLORIDA. 



and was instrumental in the conversion of many- 
souls. " (Page 340.) 

R. H. Howren was also in Florida, and tells his own 
story thus: 

" It was during the Indian war, when the torch, 
tomahawk, and rifle were doing their deadly work in 
this country. My work was mainly with the soldiers, 
and with citizens clustered together under stockade 
protection. I knew that I was exposed to sudden 
and violent death every day, but the divine promise 
sustained me: 4 Lo, I am with you alway, even unto 
the end of the world.' 

"On one occasion, while holding a protracted meet- 
ing near Newnansville, we were surrounded by 
seventy-five warriors, who withdrew without inter- 
fering with us at all. \Ve learned afterwards that 
their intention was to make an attack upon us, but 
seeing such an unusual stir among the people, they 
became alarmed and withdrew. During one of our 
night services, they climbed into the pines around 
the house, intending to fire upon us, not being able 
to do so from the ground owing to the stockade. 
Fortunately we heard the signal given for firing, and 
ran into the body of the house and escaped. One of 
our local preachers, Brother McCrary, was shot from 
his horse and killed while returning from one of his 
appointments Sabbath afternoon. He was in com- 
pany with a Mr. McNeil, who escaped with four 
balls through his clothes and two in his horse. The 
noble animal, though badly wounded, sprang forward 
and soon bore his rider beyond the reach of danger. 
A little boy, twelve years of age, riding a little be- 
hind, wheeled his pony and took the other end of the 



56 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



road, a large Indian jumping into the road nearly op- 
posite the boy. The race was nearly equal for a 
hundred yards or more, the savage making sev- 
eral reaches for the bridle, but at length the lad 
outstripped him and escaped in safety to the 
fort. Brother McCrary was talking to his un- 
converted friend on the subject of religion when the 
guns were fired. How literally he realized the po- 
et's hope: 

Happy, if with my latest breath 

I may but gasp his name; 
Preach him to all, and cry in death, 

"Behold, behold the Lamb! " 

The war continued until 1842, when a treaty was 
made and hostilities ceased; there was still danger, 
and an occasional massacre. The last one was that 
of Mrs. Crum. She, her daughter, Mrs. Harn, her 
granddaughter, Miss Mary Harn, and Mr. J. F. Mac- 
Donell were riding, the latter driving the carriage, 
and Mrs. Harn riding on horseback. A number of 
Indians fired upon them. Mr. MacDonell was shot 
through the chest, but sprang into the bushes and 
escaped. Mrs. Crum was killed. Mrs. Harn caught 
her daughter by the arm, assisted her upon the 
horse, and they escaped. I have heard this related 
by each of the survivors. Mr. MacDonell lived to 
an old age, raised a large family, was honored and 
loved in his county, and passed to his reward in Jan- 
uary, 1894. 

The seven years' war was now ended. Many of 
the former citizens of Florida returned. From many 
States new settlers came to build up homes and for- 
tunes in the Land of Flowers, and with them came 



FIFTY-TWO TEARS IX FLORIDA. 



:>7 



many heralds of the cross whose objects were the 
cultivation of ;i Lxmianuers land,'' so that in 1843 
and 1844 the territory was largely occupied, missions 
extending from Tampa Bay and Indian River to the 
Georgia line, from the Atlantic to the Apalachicola 
River. Districts were laid out. and stations, circuits, 
and missions organized, and the field largely pre- 
pared for the organization of the Florida Confer- 
ence. 



PART III 



CHAPTER I. 

The Author Transferred to the Florida Conference. 

We now come to the part of this work in which 
the writer was a participant, and before proceeding 
I will state that I was born in Burke County, Ga., 
December 20, 1822; was converted August 25, 1837; 
was licensed to exhort December 22, 1842; and re- 
ceived my license to preach December 16, 1843. The 
health of my uncle, the Rev. J. B. Chappell, failing 
on his way from Conference in January, 1844, I was 
placed on the Carnesville Circuit in his place, which 
I served to the close of the year. I was admitted into 
the Georgia Conference at Eatonton in January, 1845, 
and with seven others was transferred to the Florida 
Conference, taking my place in the class of the first 
year; was ordained deacon by Bishop Capers two 
years afterwards, and elder by the same bishop two 
years from that time. I am aware that the object of 
our Conference in asking me to write these remi- 
niscences was to preserve from oblivion the names of 
persons and incidents which should not be lost, but 
in assuming the task I realize the danger of apparent 
egotism or dull monotony. The mere stringing to- 
gether of names and incidents would gain but few 
readers; the elaboration of these would swell the vol- 
ume quite beyond the design of the author. We pro- 
pose to take the subject chronologically, giving in 



FIFTY- TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



59 



the main an outline of our Conferences, with the 
names of the men who composed them, a general 
glance at the work, with such incidents as have come 
under my observation, or are well authenticated, as I 
may think will interest the reader. 



CHAPTER II. 



Our First Conference and Its Members. 

The first Florida Conference convened in Tallahas- 
see February 6, 1845, Bishop Soule presiding, and 
Thomas C. Benning, Secretary. It embraced all 
Middle and East Florida, and that part of Georgia 
lying south of Fort Gaines, Albany, and the Altama- 
ha River. 

There were (including transfers) twelve elders — 
namely, John Slade, Thomas C. Benning, P. P. 
Smith, J. W. Yarbrough, T. W. Cooper, R. II. 
Howren, A. Martin, A. Peeler, W. W. Griffin, S. P. 
Richardson, A. J. Deavours, and J. J. Richards. Of 
the class of the third year: J. W. Mills, A. D. Rus- 
sell. Of the second year: -James Harris, G. A. Mal- 
lette, N. R. Fleming, J. N. Miner, E. L. T. Blake, 
and John Penny. Of the first year: S. G. Chiles, D. 
L. White, F. A. Johnson, and A. Graham. Of those 
admitted: R. A. Griffin, G. C. Clarke, G. W. Pratt, 
J. M. N. Low, J. Carraway, J. H. Bryan, and John 
C. Ley. 

Thirty-one in all constituted the forlorn hope to 
lead the hosts of God's elect from Key West to Al- 
bany, from the Atlantic to Apalachicola. No won- 
der our venerable bishop exclaimed on reading our 
appointments: u When I look over your vast territo- 
ry and the needs of your work, I almost wish myself 
a young man and a member of the Florida Confer- 
ence." But by making circuits extend over as much 
territory as is now covered by districts, and the 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



61 



preachers serving seven appointments in the week, 
and with supplies from the local ranks, the work was 
manned. Four districts were formed and served by 
R. H. Luckey, P. P. Smith, T. C. Benning, and J. 
W. Yarbrough. 

On the 11th of February we received appoint- 
ments, and with the blessing of our bishop bade fare- 
well to each other, turned our faces toward our fields 
of labor, with our parting hymn ringing in our ears: 

The vineyard of the Lord 

Before his lab'rers lies; 
And lo! we see the vast reward 

Which waits us in the skies. 

In tracing the brief journal kept by me at that 
time memory places me again in that Conference. 
I love to linger among the heroes of that little band, 
now nearly all passed away. But one answers to roll 
call now in our Conference, and as far as I know only 
S. P. Richardson, in the North Georgia Confer- 
ence, and the author of these lines survive. But the 
men of that day rise before me, the men, the work, 
yea, the very spirit that animated them. Here is R. 
A. Griffin, a young man of about thirty years of age 
just entering the work. He goes to Chucochattee, 
next to Newnansville, thence to Hamilton, where, in 
1816, he ends his labors in holy triumph, leaving to 
his brethren an untarnished name and a worthy ex- 
ample. 

Here is a man of middle age, prematurely gray; 
small, straight, nervous, a piercing eye, impulsive. 
He would be marked in any deliberative body. He 
goes to Madison, thence to St. Mary's District, and 
is sent as delegate to the General Conference in 1816. 



62 



FIFTY-TWO YEAES IN FLOKIDA. 



This year he breaks down. Consumption has its 
fangs upon him; he settles in Tampa, laboring to 
build up our little church. In 1850, in the presence 
of the author and two other ministers, he takes the 
sacrament, and talks of death as calmly as if it were 
only an ordinary journey. In the midst of friends, 
engaged in conversation, a slight tremor, and the 
spirit of Alexander Martin has passed to his reward, 
the second from our little band. 

The author was sent this year to Ocean Pond Mis- 
sion. It embraced all of what is now Bradford, part 
of Columbia, Hamilton, and Suwannee Counties, 
Florida, and part of Camden, Ga. The extremes 
were Fort Call, Yelvington's, and Sweat's in "the 
big bend" (Georgia), Blount's Ferry, southwest of the 
Okefinokee Swamp, through Hamilton County, via 
Echeetucknee and Fort White to Fort Call. There 
was no post office, church, or school house in the mis- 
sion. I received my mail at Newnansville each round. 
The seven years' war had recently closed, and settlers 
had rushed to this region for the range. They had 
formed into settlements or colonies, sometimes twenty 
or thirty miles apart, for mutual protection. I trav- 
eled on horseback by pocket compass, often receiving 
such directions as this: " Keep this course [pointing] 
for ten miles, and you will strike an Indian trail, take 
the left-hand end, and it will carry you in about five 
miles of the settlement." 

The country was generally open, no obstructions 
except an occasional pond to be surrounded, or a 
branch or cypress slough to be forded. But in the 
rainy season the Suwannee, Santa Fe, New River, 
Cypress Creek, and three prongs of St. Mary's River 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IX FLORIDA. 



63 



were all often swimming; but by this time the mis- 
sionary had learned the routes, and had become a fair 
woodsman. The weather was warm, and it required 
no great heroism to shoulder saddlebags and umbrella 
and take a pleasant bath while his faithful horse bore 
him in safety to the other shore. I have often looked 
with pity upon the poor specimen of humanity, whom 
God has honored by u putting him into the ministry,' 
when I have heard him croak and complain of its 
hardships and sacrifices. 

The appointments on this work were first tilled in 
two weeks, but as their number increased, they cov- 
ered three. So the preacher was in the saddle or 
preaching, or both, seven days in each week. 

There were no church buildings in the mission. 
The settlers opened their doors, and their neighbors 
came together; but the latter part of this year we 
built at Fort Call a church of pine poles, and hewed 
puncheons for floor and seats. We sawed out doors 
and windows, made a rude table, and the building 
was complete. It would doubtless have compared 
poorly with St. Peter's, yet we can say with triumph 
of our Zion: "This and that man was born there." 
As I pen these lines, the names of Benjamin Moody, 
William Fatch, Mrs. Yelvington, Messrs. Blackweld- 
er, King, and a host of others who were friends of 
the Church, and of the u boy preacher" of those days, 
rise before me. God bless their sons and daughters! 
Their fathers and mothers have "fallen on sleep." 



CHAPTER III. 



Second Conference — The Armed Occupation Act — A. J. Dea- 
vours — Extracts from Journal. 

Our Conference held its second session in Monti- 
cello February 9, 1846, Bishop Andrew, President; 
P. P. Smith, Secretary. George J. Arnow, Franklin 
Stewart, Thomas Taylor, and J. W. Carlton were ad- 
mitted. John L. Jerry, J. J. Taylor, and M. Bedell 
were readmitted. T. C. Benning, Anderson Peeler, 
J. N. Miner, and N. R. Fleming were located. Of 
these, Thomas C. Benning was afterwards admitted 
into the Protestant Methodist Church, and died in 
Brooklyn, N. Y., a few years since. J. N. Miner 
remained a local preacher in Florida a few years. 
He left under a cloud. His end I know not. N. R. 
Fleming read medicine and was practicing in Lincoln 
County, Ga., the last I knew of him. A. Peeler en- 
gaged in the practice of medicine and served the 
Church as a local preacher until 1872, when he was 
readmitted. He served the Church faithfully until 
called to his reward. 

In manning the work this year the only change in 
the districts was A. Martin vice T. C. Benning, on 
the St. Mary's. The writer was sent to Benton Mis- 
sion. 

For the purpose of settling out the Indians, Con- 
gress had passed what is known as the " armed oc- 
cupation act." It provided that any man who would 
settle south of a given line, keep a gun and so much 
ammunition, build a house fit for the habitation of 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



m 



roan, cultivate five acres of land, and remain on it five 
years, should receive a patent for one hundred and 
sixty acres of land. As there were then but few mas- 
sacres reported, the lands being fine, there was a rush 
for the prize, especially as this was the only hope of 
many of the settlers ever owning land. They were 
mostly unmarried men, and those who had families 
generally left them in places of greater safety. 
Among the early immigrants A. J. Deavours is 
found preaching and singing in their forest homes. 

No more shall the sound of the war whoop be heard, 
The ambush and slaughter no longer be feared, 
The tomahawk, buried, shall rest in the ground, 
And peace and good will to the nations abound. 

I love to think of that noble pioneer missionary. 
Full of love, full of zeal, no danger daunts him, 
no hardships discourage him. The love of souls was 
the all-consuming fire that burned in his bones. He 
served mission fields a few years, then returned to 
Georgia. 

When the author reached his mission it was to find 
the general discouragement which follows an enthu- 
siasm that never pauses to count the cost. The 
houses "fit for the habitation of man" had been gen- 
erally built by driving four forked poles into the 
ground, for plates, rafters, etc., the same kind of 
poles, these fastened with withes or vines ; thatch- 
ing the sides and roofs with the broad palmetto 
leaves, the house was completed and "fit for the 
habitation of man." The farm was equally elabo- 
rate. The furniture and fare were in keeping with 
the surroundings. Here the missionary ate and 
5 



66 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



prayed with the family (only one man), slept with 
his host, and the next day preached to him and his 
neighbors. 

The little money the emigrant carried with him 
had generally been spent, and now the question was: 
u After suffering so much, shall I abandon all and go 
back to my friends, or shall I try to weather it through 
and save my land?" The preacher who traveled this 
work had some of what the world calls hardships, 
but we did not feel them very hard. "There is a sil- 
ver lining to every cloud," and our trials were min- 
gled with joys. We adopted as our motto: "Wher- 
ever men can go for money, we can go for the love 
of Christ and for souls." 

A few extracts from our journal may interest the 
reader : 

May 1±. — This morning I left Brother Harn's, Ben- 
ton County, Fla., in company with J. W. Yarbrough, 
presiding elder, to attend the first quarterly meeting 
ever held in Orange County. We made arrangements 
for crossing the head waters of the Withlacoochee, 
they being swollen. Two men accompanied us to the 
first and main branch. Running our vehicles one at a 
time over a canoe until the axle rested upon the gun- 
wales, two men swam beside and pushed to the other 
shore. Getting all across, we harnessed up and re- 
sumed our journey, the men returning home. On 
reaching the second branch we found an old broken 
military bridge sunk down in the middle. Cutting 
poles and throwing them across the chasm, we slid our 
carriages safely to the other shore, swimming our 
horses across; then we harnessed up.and proceeded. A 
short drive brought us to the place of ' fi Dade's Massa- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



67 



ere." Here we paused and inspected the field. The 
trees scarred by bullets, the logs used for improvised 
breastworks, the open graves from which the bodies 
of that noble band had recently been taken and car- 
ried to St. Augustine for interment, made impres- 
sions upon my mind I can never describe. About 9 
p.m. we reached a house, having narrowly escaped 
being upset in a bad ford after dark. We gave 
thanks to God for protection, and retired to rest. 

May 5. — This morning we resumed our journey, 
l)i it daring the forenoon our trail utterly gave out. 
Retracing our steps some miles, we struck the right 
trail. About 3 p.m., in coming oat of a bad ford, 
my horse broke one of my sulky's wheels. Brother 
Yarbrough took my trunk, and a walk of about five 
miles brought us to the home of Brother E. J. Har- 
ris, the first house we had seen since moruing. 

May 6. — Borrowing a saddle, we resumed our 
journey, and about 4 p.m. reached the house of Mrs. 
Rogers (where Apopka City now stands), the only 
house or person we had seen during the day. 

May 7. — This afternoon we reached Fort Melon, 
having seen no man or human habitation during the 
day. We were the guests of Dr. Speer, and com- 
forts and luxuries we relished. Oar quarterly meet- 
ing was one of interest. J ohn Penny was the mission- 
ary. 

May 11. — This morning, having enjoyed the hos- 
pitality of friends and the presence of the Lord in 
our meeting, we started back, reaching Mrs. Rogers' 
just before night. 

May 12. — Resumed our journey, but before night 
my horse gave out, and we stopped in the road. He 



68 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



had been a stranger to sufficient food for a long* time, 
but by resting him and walking I reached Brother 
Harris' a little after dark. 

May 13. — This morning I took an ax and walked 
out to the place where I had left my sulky, cut a 
pole and lashed it to the shaft under the axle, piled 
up the debris, and led my horse back to Brother Har- 
ris', and rested until morning. Then came u the tug 
of war." It was seventy-five miles to the nearest 
shop; so availing myself of a few farm tools, I sawed 
some dry white oak rails and made spokes, drove 
them into the hub, placed the fellies as near as pos- 
sible equidistant from the center, cut tenons, drove 
them on, then heated the tire, and with the assistance 
of the family, tongs, and poker, we soon had a 
wheel, not quite as neat as I have seen, but it an- 
swered my purpose. 

May IJf. — Started to-day for my work, and before 
night my horse again gave out, but by resting, coax- 
ing, and walking I reached a house before night. 
Here I succeeded in buying a pony by giving my 
horse in the trade. 

July °26. — To-day I preached at Tampa, opened the 
doors of the Church, and organized a society, the 
first ever organized in this place. Dr. J. Roberts was 
appointed class leader. O that the little vine may 
continue to spread and fill all these lands! 

This was a year of general prosperity in our Con- 
ference; though the minutes only show an increase of 
one hundred and seventy-two whites, and two hun- 
dree and twenty-five colored members, still the work 
was gaining in form and strength. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Our Third Conference — Hamilton Circuit — Affliction. 

Our third Conference convened in Quincy, Bishop 
Capers presiding. Moses C. Smith, Samuel Wood- 
bury. Nelson Conner, I. N. Craven, John McPhail, 
and Leroy G. Leslie were admitted. Ira L. Potter, 
Henry T. Jones, and Joseph J. Sealey were received 
by transfer; J. W. Yarbrough, F. A. Johnson, and 
J. H. Bryan located; G. J. Arnow and J. W. Carl- 
ton were discontinued: R. A. Griffin had been re- 
moved by death, and A. J. Deavours -by transfer, 
leaving a net increase of only two men. Of those 
leaving us, J. W. Yarbrough was a strong and ear- 
nest preacher. To Georgia his history belongs. F. 
A. Johnson was a young man of good mind bat 
limited education. He served the Church many years 
as a local preacher. J. H. Bryan went to his planta- 
tion. J. W. Carlton was a man of feeble health and 
fervent piety. G. J. Arnow went into the practice 
of law, and now resides in Gainesville. 

This year J. L. Jerry was sent to the Newnans- 
ville District, and James Harris to the St. Mary's. 
I was sent to Hamilton Circuit. On my way to my 
work, being very weak from protracted fevers the 
previous year, I was attacked with pneumonia in 
Monticello, where I remained for several days, and 
then started, very feeble, and my mouth very sore 
from salivation. On reaching my work I found the 
streams all swollen, which required frequent swim- 
ming. One day I swam three streams, while heavy 



To 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



rains fell much of the time. On reaching a house 
near night, my clothes all wet and no chance for dry- 
ing, my mouth still very sore, and not enough cover- 
ing to keep me warm had I been dry, I passed an un- 
comfortable night. Yet the God that takes note of 
the sparrows shielded me, so that I experienced no 
bad effects from this temporary discomfort. The 
year was one of general prosperity on the circuit, 
accessions at all the appointments. Our camp meet- 
ing at Swift Creek October 25 was a time of general 
refreshing and great power. There were many con- 
versions, and nineteen accessions to the church. The 
following is an extract from my journal: 

"December 25. — To-day I meet my dear mother 
and sister after an absence of two years. Glory be 
to God for all his mercies! In the darkest hoars 
through which I have passed since I was last here he 
has sustained me. My body has been afflicted, yet my 
soul has triumphed. When all hope of life was gone 
I could say: ' The will of the Lord be done.' He has 
raised me up and enabled me to again meet my loved 
ones, and now I vow to endeavor to be more faithful 
and humble. May the grace of God ever sustain me ! 
for I am sure that unsaved by him I fall." 

Our fourth Conference convened in Waynesville, 
Ga., February 9, 1848, Bishop Andrew presiding, 
and P. P. Smith Secretary. Wm. M. Kennedy and 
Robert S. Tucker were admitted; G. W. Fagg was 
received by transfer; H. T. Jones and David L. 
White located; I. N. Craven and John McPhail dis- 
continued; T. W. Cooper and J. M. N. Low were 
permitted to rest on account of feeble health, leaving 
a decrease of four from the effective list. Of those 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



71 



leaYing our ranks, D. L. White was a son of Dr. D. 
L. White, of Quincy. He was a young man of liberal 
education, deep piety, and sterling worth. He set- 
tled at Iola, where for many years he did good serv- 
ice as a local preacher, until some years ago he passed 
to his reward, leaving a widow, a son, and three 
daughters. The daughters have since then, all in 
triumph, crossed the flood. The widow and son still 
live, and labor for and contribute liberally to the 
Church. J. J. Taylor returned to his plantation in 
Columbia County, where he rendered good service 
to the Church until called to his reward. The 
writer was sent this year to St. Mary's Station. The 
charge was small, the situation pleasant. Among 
the many friends of that year I must mention the 
families of Mrs. Seals and Mr. A. J. Bessent, in 
whose houses I found homes, and whose kindness 
and hospitality have ever been cherished among the 
reminiscences of my early ministry. 



CHAPTER V. 



From 1849 to 1853. 

Our fifth session met in Albany, Ga., January 31, 
1819, Bishop Capers, President; P. P. Smith, Sec- 
retary. O. B. Stanley, J. M. Hendry, J. H. M. 
Gardner, and T. N. Gardner were admitted. W. M. 
Choice was readmitted. Mr. Choice was born in 
Hancock County, Ga., in January, 1800; was admitted 
into the Georgia Conference in 1832; served the Leon 
Circuit in 1833 and 1831, the St. Mary's District from 
1837 to 1839, Jacksonville District in 1810 and 1811; 
located and was supply on the Tallahassee Station in 
1812 and 1813. During this period there was a won- 
derful revival, and many of our members there to- 
day are either converts or children of converts of that 
revival. From his readmission until his death he was 
a useful and faithful preacher. He was a stout man. 
with florid complexion, and a powerful voice. It is 
said that in preaching his farewell sermon in St. 
Mary's he exclaimed, "You may never hear my feeble 
voice again, 1 ' though that voice was heard two miles. 
He was earnest and had many seals to his ministry. 
Passing from us in 1855, he said: "I am going to 
die, but I am ready." 

This year I was sent to Albany Station, and on the 
1st of May was married to Miss Ann Eliza Wade. 
She was stepdaughter of Dr. White, of Quincy. She 
was about my age, educated, refined, pious, and love- 
ly — in all respects adapted to the life of the helpmeet 
of an itinerant preacher. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



73 



During this year we had a revival of considerable 
power, which was renewed the following year under 
the ministry of Mr. Brady, which gave much strength 
to our church in that city. 

Our sixth Conference held its session in Madison. 
In the absence of Bishop Andrew, Ira L. Potter was 
elected President, and P. P. Smith, Secretary. Aaron 
W. Harris, William C. Brady, John W. Carlton, and 
James K. Conner were admitted. Anderson Peeler 
was readmitted. James Peeler, J. P. Richardson, J. 
M. Valentine, and Philip Pelly were received by 
transfer. John W. Mills, George W. Fagg, Moses 
C. Smith, and Augustus D. Russell located. Three 
were allowed to rest on account of feeble health. 

This year I was sent to Marion Circuit, which ex- 
tended from Pilatlacaha on the south to St. Augustine 
on the northeast. During the year we gave an ap- 
pointment to Palatka, preaching in the courthouse. 
I think there were no houses there then, except such 
as had been erected during the war for military pur- 
poses. There were two stores, kept by R. R. Reed 
and K. R. Duke. I should think there were from 
twelve to twenty families. We organized a society 
of about iifteen members, which still exists. True, 
the members that then constituted the roll have 
passed to the other shore, but others have taken their 
places. As the place changed from a village to a 
city, others came in, and with help from abroad built 
churches, but our little band was unable to build. 
About 1860, through the efforts of the members and 
the energy of Revs. William Davies and William E. 
Collier, a plain house was erected. It stood as a place 
for worship for many years, but, small and unsight- 



74 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



ly, it was more a type of weakness than of strength. 
While writing about this place I will state that in 
1884 Palatka was made a station and J. B. Ley was 
sent to it, where he remained four years, during 
which time they built a parsonage and a pretty and 
commodious church. 

The most important point on the circuit was Ocala. 
In 1846 the county seat of Marion was moved here. 
At the time I came to the circuit, there was a court- 
house built of pine poles, which served for all public 
purposes. It served as a church for all denomina- 
tions, also as a public hall and theater. 

There were three stores kept by Messrs. Tison & 
Harris, E. D. House, and A. Waterman, a doggery 
and post office south of the square kept by William 
Roberts, and a small hotel where the Ocala House 
now stands. I suppose some twelve or fifteen fami- 
lies constituted the town. The missionary had been 
here and a society had been organized. 

This year we secured the lots for our church, but 
were unable to do anything more toward a house of 
worship. 

On the 5th of March of this year God called my 
young and loving wife from earth to her reward. 
Only about eleven months was she lent to me; then 
she was translated to a fairer clime. In attempting 
to account for this dispensation of God's providence 
I was almost wrecked, but the same loving Father 
which has always sustained me enabled me finally to 
realize that he is good, and that u all things work to- 
gether for good to them that love God." "What I 
do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know here- 
after." 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



The year as a whole was one of prosperity in our 
Conference, giving us a net increase of one thousand ' 
and ninety-rive whites, and hve hundred and ninety- 
two colored members. Two of our preachers had 
died, Alexander Martin and James R. Conner. Mr. 
Conner was a young man of deep piety, an earnest 
and useful man; but in the morning of life, with pros- 
pects of usefulness before him, God called him from 
labor to rest. 

The seventh session of our Conference convened in 
Thomasville, Ga., January 9, 1851; Bishop Paine 
presiding, and P. P. Smith, Secretary. 

William Edwards and David R. Kellog were .ad- 
mitted, F. A. Johnson was readmitted, R. M. Ty- 
dings received by transfer, G. A. Mallette and L. G. 
Lesley located, P. Pelly and N. Conner removed by 
transfer. 

The stewards settled with claimants at sixty-five 
cents on the dollar, the best we had ever done. 

The writer was sent to Palatka and St. Augustine 
Mission, but the health of J. M. Valentine failing 
soon after Conference, I was changed to the Jackson- 
ville Station, which I served the remainder of that year. 

Our eighth session met in Tallahassee January 28, 
1852. In the absence of Bishop Andrew, W. W. 
Griffin was elected President, and P. P. Smith, Sec- 
retary. 

Samuel A. McCook, Peter B. Bedford, and William 
H. Turner were admitted; J. W. Mills and G. W. 
Fagg were readmitted; Thomas Gardner was received 
from the Protestant Methodist Church; J. M. N. 
Low and T. W. Cooper took no appointment on ac- 
count of feeble health; George C. Clarke was trans- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



ferred to Georgia, and Alexander Graham was sent 
as missionary to California — leaving a net increase of 
six to our itinerant ranks. S. P. Richardson was 
sent to the Tallahassee District, and Franklin Stew- 
art to the St. Mary's District. 1 was returned to 
J acksonville. 

This year was one of general prosperity in our 
Conference. In Jacksonville we nearly doubled our 
membership, repaired and painted our church, and 
more than doubled our congregation. The Tallahas- 
see District was blessed with general revival power 
and large increase of members. Our net increase 
was four hundred and fifty-one whites, and three 
hundred and eighty-nine blacks. 

Our financial showing was not an enviable one, as 
we settled with claimants at thirty-eight and one-half 
cents on the dollar. When we remember that one 
hundred dollars was the maximum of a single preach- 
er's salary, there was not much need of urging upon 
us the caution: "If riches increase, set not your heart 
upon them." 

The Conference held its ninth session in Quincy, 
beginning January 26, 1853, Bishop Capers in the 
chair. 

F. R. C. Ellis and John F. Rivers were admitted. 

The districts were served by S. P. Richardson, R. 
H. Howren, F. Stewart, and G. W. Pratt. 

The writer was sent to St. Mary's Station. Here 
we found the church almost broken up by divisions 
growing out of troubles of the previous year. But 
while unable to heal many of the wounds, we were 
successful in some respects, and passed the year pleas- 
antly with some degree of success. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 77 

On the 4th of July of this year I was married to 
Miss Martha S. Pottle. For over forty-four years 
she has been the partner of my joys and sorrows, my 
hopes and fears. Both in prosperity and adversity, 
in sickness and in health, we have walked the path of 
life together. God gave us three sons, all of whom 
still live and have families of their own. Two of 
them are members of our Conference, and the other 
is a devout Christian and a zealous worker in the 
Church. My wife still lives (1897), to aid and com- 
fort me in my itinerant work. 



CHAPTER VI. 



From 1854 to 1858. 

Our tenth Conference convened in Monticello. R. 
H. Ho wren was elected President, and P. P. Smith, 
Secretary. James W. Jackson, Archibald Johnson, 
Robert I. McCooke, and William Peeler were ad- 
mitted. 

At this Conference the Thomasville District was 
formed. I was returned to St. Mary's, and this year 
had my first experience with yellow fever. It proved 
a terrible scourge, some whole families passing away, 
and scarcely any that were not decimated. It was 
estimated that one-fifth of the white people who re- 
mained in town died. I was the fourth person taken 
down, having officiated at the funerals of the previ- 
ous three. Although my attack was a very violent 
one, yet through the skill of my physician, good 
nursing, and, above all, the kind hand of my Heaven- 
ly Father, I was able to walk about a little in ten 
days. From this time I was engaged night and day, 
praying for and administering to the sick, counsel- 
ing with the families, and burying the dead. The 
epidemic lasted about three months, and for several 
weeks I attended more or less funerals every day. At 
about the height of the scourge my wife was taken. 
In almost every house there was sickness. Nurses 
were scarce, for we had no professionals at that time. 
Doctors were overworked, and were absolutely unable 
to meet the actual needs of the suffering. For nine 
days I did not undress, the little sleep I got being in 



FIFTY-TWO TEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



7!> 



snatches of a few moments at a time. One night I 
can never forget. It was about the crisis of my wife's 
illness. I was watching alone, when just in front of 
my door there was a scream of a female's voice; such 
a voice as I never heard equaled in power and clear- 
ness. The shriek was followed by a torrent of blas- 
phemy and vulgarity, which I think I have never 
heard equaled. The darkness of the night, the hour 
(about 12 p.m.), the distress in the town, my own 
heart bleeding for the one I was watching, with the 
fearful cursing outside, produced a feeling language 
fails to describe. It was a poor crazy woman, a wan- 
derer, who had come into town a few days before. 

The epidemic finally passed away, leaving many sad 
memories, none of which were more sad than the fact 
that the people failed to learn righteousness. The 
devotees of pleasure and dissipation seemed to vie 
with each other to regain what they had lost by the 
scourge. 

The eleventh session of our Conference met in De- 
cember, 1854, in Madison. This was the last Confer- 
ence over which the sainted Bishop Capers presided. 
Going home from this, he was attacked with heart 
disease in a few days, and soon passed to his reward. 

We admitted on trial David L. Kennedy, Martin V. 
Wells, James T. Stockton, James O. Branch, Francis 
A. Branch, John L. Williams, Francis M. Wilson, 
and Amos Davis. 

The writer was sent to Thomasville Station. Ow 
ing to family affairs, my own health, and some cir- 
cumstances connected with the making of this ap- 
pointment, it was the most afflictive that I had ever 
received. Bat God overruled all for good, and it 



80 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



proved one of the pleasantest charges I ever served. 
Here God gave us our first son. And here let me re- 
cord that through life the rule has been that ap- 
pointments received with the greatest pleasure have 
often had their greatest trials, and those which have 
been received with the saddest feelings have proved 
among the most successful and pleasant. 

Our twelfth Conference was held in Bainbridge, 
Ga., December, 1855. In the absence of Bishop An- 
drew, S. P. Richardson was elected President, serving 
until the arrival of the bishop. The country at the 
time was flooded with rain, water courses swimming. 
The first day less than half the preachers were present. 
The following day many others arrived, and by the 
close of Conference nearly all were present, having 
overcome many difficulties and dangers. 

We admitted on trial Joseph A. W. Johns, Valerius 
C. Cannon, Grandison Royster, Thomas R. Barnett, 
Samuel S. Cobb, Willis P. Ocain, Thomas A. Car- 
ruth, John F. Andrews, Theophilus J. Johnson, 
Charles P. Murdock, Robert F. Lanier, James M. 
Points, Isaac A. Towers, and James A. McCollum, a 
much larger class than at. any previous Conference. 

The increase of members was one thousand six hun- 
dred and seventy-three. The work was largely rear- 
ranged and divided into seven districts, which were 
served by J. R. Plummer, William M. Kennedy, P. 
P. Smith, J. W. Mills, T. N. Gardner, J. C. Ley, and 
G. W. Pratt. 

I went to Jacksonville and R. M. Tydings went to 
the station. We found the church in Jacksonville in 
a desperate condition. There had been an extensive 
revival the previous year under the ministry of D. B. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



SI 



Lynne, but after the revival there were varied troub- 
les, and the pastor, though a great revivalist, was not 
a success in managing Church difficulties. 

We commenced a series of protracted services soon 
after Conference, which continued through several 
weeks. Some were converted, many reclaimed, many 
deep wounds were healed; but alas! some were too 
deep, and the parties left the Church. Yet in that 
charge it was a year of prosperity. My district ex- 
tended from the Georgia line, embracing Orange 
County, from the Atlantic to the Gulf, yet in the 
whole district we had but three ordained pastors. In 
most places the children and adult members could not 
receive baptism, and some who had been members for 
years had never had the privilege of taking the sacra- 
ment of the Lord's Supper. To meet these necessi- 
ties, I arranged with the preachers to hold services at 
different places each week between quarterly meeting, 
and administer the ordinances. But the work I soon 
found was beyond my strength, and taking measles, 
which settled in my bowels, I was able to do but lit- 
tle work the last part of the year. 

At that time we had at Micanopy a Conference sem- 
inary. We had, as we thought, made good arrange- 
ments for instructors for the fall, but a few weeks 
before the time for opening we received notice of dis- 
appointment in our plans. It was too late to procure 
teachers, and it was thought another disappointment 
would cause the entire enterprise to prove a failure. 

The state of my health, the necessities of the semi- 
nary, with the earnest entreaties of the trustees and 
such of the preachers of the district as could be con- 
sulted, induced me to make the best arrangements I 
6 



82 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



could for my last round and accept the position of 
Principal of the seminary, Mrs. Ley taking charge 
of the female department. 

I will here state what I have to say in regard to 
this enterprise. It was started about 1857 under the 
management of Eev. J. M. Hendry, Agent. A sub- 
stantial house had been erected, and school opened, 
but some debts upon the building, and these increased 
by deficiency on teachers' salaries, had accumulated 
until there seemed but little hope of saving the prop- 
erty. The whole would not have sold for enough to 
liquidate the debts. The Conference for 1856 had 
appointed a new Board of Trustees. We obtained 
time and had nearly liquidated the debts, with a re- 
spectable nucleus for endowment, and a patronage of 
over one hundred students; but discord among pa- 
trons caused me to resign at the close of 1859. The 
local troubles, and the war, which called off most of 
the young men, caused the seminary to be closed in 
the latter part of 1860. After the war the fearful 
state of finances forced it to be sold for a trifle, and 
thus it passed from our hands. 

Our thirteenth session was held at Alligator (now 
Lake City), Bishop Andrew presiding, and P. P. 
Smith, Secretary. We admitted B. J. Johnson, J. J. 
Giles, Leroy B. Giles, J. E. Darden, W. G. M. Quar- 
terman, and J. K. Glover. T. W. Cooper was read- 
mitted. J. M. Davis, E. F. Gates, J. M. Wright, and 
J, W. Timberlake were received by transfer. Ed- 
ward G. Asey was expelled. 

Our fourteenth session was held in Thomasville, 
Bishop Early presiding, and P. P. Smith, Secretary. 
H. G. Townsend, William Williams, Henry F. Smith, 



FIFTY-TWO TEARS EN FLORIDA. 



83 



William A. Dyall, Isaac Mundan, Robert A. Carson, 
O. A. Myers, and J. Rast were admitted. 

Our Conference held its fifteenth session in Jack- 
sonville, Bishop Andrew presiding, and J. C. Ley, 
Secretary, beginning December 15, 1858. E. H. 
Giles, J. Henderson, J. Stewart, J. A. Heming- 
way. P. A. McCook, F. B. Davis, S. R. Weaver, J. 
P. Holmes, W. C. Jourdan, and R. L. Wiggins were 
admitted. 

The past year had been one of general prosperity 
and one thousand eight hundred and fourteen mem 
hers had been added to the church. Extensive re- 
vivals were reported in nearly all parts of the Con- 
ference. 



CHAPTER VII. 



From 1860 to 1863. 

The sixteenth session of our Conference was held 
in Micanopy, beginning December 28, 1859, Bishop 
Kavanaugh presiding, and P. P. Smith, Secretary. 

Robert E. Evans, William F. Roberts, Robert W. 
Flournoy, Andrew R. Bird, Cornelius Parker, James 
D. Maulding, James L. Carrath, R. R. Burts, Ster- 
ling Gardner, J. M. Bridges, and David D. Henry 
were admitted on trial. Joseph J. Sealey, J. W. 
Jackson, and Robert W. Burges were readmitted. 
John R. Harwell was received by transfer. Joshua 
Carraway, J. Anderson, and Willis P. Ocain were 
supernumerary. E. L. T. Blake, John Penny, M. 
Bedell, William Edwards, Thomas Taylor, and Jesse 
M. Valentine were superannuated. O. B. Stanley 
was removed by transfer. John L. Jerry has passed 
to his reward, leaving a net increase to our effective 
force of fifteen. 

We still had six districts, served by S. P. Richard- 
son, S. Woodbury, David L. Kennedy, T. W. Coop- 
er, J. W. Mills, and W. L. Murphy. 

Soon after Conference Micanopy was scourged 
with a severe visitation of pneumonia. Many per- 
sons died, among them Revs. T. W. Cooper and Wil- 
liam Edwards. Bishop Kavanaugh removed me from 
Flemington Mission to the St. John's District, to fill 
the vacancy occasioned by the death of Brother Coop- 
er. The work extended from the St. Mary's River to 
Indian River, and had to be served mostly by private 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLOEIDA. 



85 



conveyance. The traveler of to-day can form but lit- 
tle conception of what it was then. The country was 
but thinly settled, often there were stretches of forty 
miles between houses. The roads, especially in the 
southern part of the district, were chiefly such as had 
been opened by the troops during the Indian war. 
The rapid growth of vegetation rendered the roads 
obscure, and often, for miles, the traveler did not 
know whether he was on the right road or not; indeed, 
he was often perplexed to find out if he was on any 
road. But in all such cases of uncertainty he well 
knew that the country was broad, and there was plenty 
of room in the woods in which to lodge. And if he 
could keep out of too deep water, he would get some- 
where sometime, and that wherever he reached a hu- 
man habitation a cordial welcome awaited him, and 
that when he reached the place for preaching he 
would meet an eager congregation, some of whom 
had come many miles to hear the word. I some- 
times meet some to whom I preached in those days, 
and as old soldiers we joyfully rehearse the battles 
fought, but most of them have crossed the flood. 

There were also many things to amuse the weary 
pilgrim, and by way of contrast between then and 
now I shall introduce the substance of a dialogue be- 
tween the writer and a young man who had come 
over twenty miles to the meeting: 

"Can't you send us a passun to preach at F. next 
year ? " 

"What is the distance from your settlement to 
the nearest place of preaching?" 
"Over twenty miles." 

"How many families live in your settlement?" 



86 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



"About twenty." 

' 1 Has no minister ever visited and preached to them. " 

"I have hearn that a passim came down once, but 
he never come back. I suppose they did not take 
keer uv him, for you know it is the natur uv um to 
go where they are taken good keer uv." 

In that county we then had one young (single) mis- 
sionary ; we now (1897) have seven regular pastoral 
charges and as many ministers. 

The character of travel on this work often caused 
my absence from home from four to six weeks, for 
while the distance was too great to go and return each 
week, it was comparatively light to go from one quar- 
terly meeting to the next. In these long trips my 
wife sometimes accompanied me, and while on one of 
these trips in Orange County she fell from an unfin- 
ished house, where we lodged, and came near losing 
her life. This compelled my returning home as soon 
as she could be carried, and also necessitated my ask- 
ing the bishop to release me from the district at our 
next Conference. 

The year had been one of prosperity to our Con- 
ference, giving an increase of two hundred and forty- 
eight whites and two hundred and ninety-two colored 
members. 

This fall Abraham Lincoln was elected President; 
and here began oar fearful struggle, the four years 
of the civil war. It is not my design to trace the 
scenes of that fraternal strife, much less to enter into 
the great questions of causes and effects underlying 
the acts which brought about the war. We propose 
to allude to the war only as it affected the operations 
of the Church. 



FIFTY- TWO YEARS FN FLORIDA. 



87 



The year 1860 took from us by death Thomas W. 
Cooper, one of our finest declaimers. In pathos he 
had few equals. His health had always been fee- 
ble, hence his zeal was far beyond his strength. 
From the year 1810 he had been in Florida, and 
wherever he went revivals attended his ministry. 
But in a short time his health would fail, requiring a 
year's rest or a location. But upon improving health 
he would return to the regular work. After some 
years' rest he had been readmitted and served the 
Tampa District four years. At our last Conference 
he was transferred to the St. John's District, begin- 
ning his work with zeal. The Sunday before his 
death he preached with power in Micanopy, where 
he lived. On Tuesday he was taken with putrid sore 
throat, and strong pneumonic symptoms, and in a few 
days passed away in triumph, February 21, 1860. 

William Edwards also died this year. He was a 
lovely man. Though not brilliant, he was earnest 
and faithful, and for ten years had rendered efficient 
service in the Conference. He also died in Micano- 
py March 15, 1860. His end was peace. While I 
stood by his dying bed his faith gave me a fresh in- 
spiration of the power of grace to draw the last sting 
of death. 

Our Conference held its seventeenth session in 
Monticello, commencing December 12, 1860, Bishop 
Pierce presiding, and P. P. Smith, Secretary. 

W. F. Easter ling, Jephthah Lee, J. F. Frquhart, 
Josiah Bullock, J. J. Snow, and G. R. Frisbee were 
admitted on trial; J. M. Hendry was readmitted; H. 
T. Lewis, S. E. Randolph, and A. J. Wooldrich were 
received by transfer; J. J. Sealey, G. Royster, T. N. 



,s,s 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



Gardner, and P. H. McCook located. Two were re- 
moved by death and one by transfer, leaving a net 
gain to our ministerial force of only two men. 

There were five districts, served by J. K. Glover, 
S. Woodbury, D. L. Kennedy, <L W. Mills, and W. 
L. Murphy. 

The bishop kindly relieved me from the district 
and placed me on the Gainesville and Micanopy Cir- 
cuit, with E. H. Giles as junior preacher. This year 
the civil war began, and the Church in all its opera- 
tions sympathized with the excitement. Congrega- 
tions were everywhere decimated, companies and 
regiments forming everywhere. Many of our min- 
isters were accepting chaplaincies, others rushing to 
the front as officers or soldiers. A company of cav- 
alry was formed, consisting mostly of my neighbors 
and former students, to go to Fernandina. They 
urged me to go with them as chaplain. After con- 
sultation with my charge, the deep interest I felt in 
the men, with a hope that a change to the coast might 
improve my wife's health, induced me to accept. 

In Fernandina I found myself independent chap- 
lain (for I was not commissioned, but was supported 
by the company) of from two thousand five hundred 
to four thousand soldiers, besides acting pastor of all 
the congregations in the city. For most of the time 
I was there I was the only minister engaged in that 
work on the island. My congregations of course 
were large, and I had plenty of preaching to do. 
Visiting and ministering to the sick and burying the 
dead was the hardest part of my work. 

My own health failed. I had mumps, followed by 
typhoid fever, terminating in camp flux, so in about 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



89 



six months after entering the service, and while camp- 
ing in the woods after the evacuation of Fernandina, 
my surgeon said to me: "My kind advice to you is, 
go home and get well if you can; and if not, die 
among your friends, for it is absolutely impossible 
for you to get well in the army." No one who has 
not passed through a similar experience can conceive 
of the sadness of that hour. To leave these men who 
had shown such appreciation of my services, and had 
treated me with such respect and kindness, to contem- 
plate future diseases, wounds, and all the horrors of 
war, with no one to point them to a Saviour or offer 
a prayer by their dying bed, seemed almost too much 
for me; yet a Power beyond myself seemed to point 
out the path of duty, so I returned to my home in 
Micanopy and spent the remaining Sabbaths of the 
year, whenever able and opportunity offered, going 
to different camps and preaching to the soldiers, and 
otherwise rilling appointments within my reach. 

Though the year 1861 was one of great trials to the 
Church, our records show an increase of five hundred 
and ninety-one white and two hundred and sixty-one 
colored members. 

Two of our ministers died. D. D. Henry, a man 
of deep piety and sterling worth, fell at his post on 
the Suwannee Circuit in September. S. E. Randolph, 
who, moved by the impulse of patriotism, entered 
the army, went to Virginia, but in three months 
death claimed him for its victim. 

The eighteenth session of our Conference met in 
Quincy, December 12, 1861, Bishop Pierce presiding, 
and P. P. Smith, Secretary. 

W. W. Anthony was the only one admitted; J. J. 



90 



FIFTY-TWO YEAES IN FLOEIDA. 



Sealey was readmitted; O. L. Smith and N. B. Ousley 
were received by transfer; two had died and one lo- 
cated; five of us were in the Confederate army, and 
two were transferred from us. 

This was the first Annual Conference I had ever 
failed to attend. The districts remained the same, 
except S. Woodbury was placed on the Tallahassee 
District in place of J. K. Glover, whose health had 
failed, and R. H. Luckey on the Thomasville District. 

Though the Church was passing through fiery trials, 
she still held her own with a net increase of two hun- 
dred and fifty-five white and two hundred and seven 
colored members. 

Our Conference held its nineteenth session in Tal- 
lahassee, December 11, 1862, Bishop Andrew presid- 
ing, and P. P. Smith, Secretary. 

George B. Swan was admitted, and J. G. Worley 
readmitted; James T. Stockton, J. Rast, and J. Hen- 
derson located; our superannuate and supernumerary 
lists embraced fifteen men, six were in the army, and 
C. \\ . Parker and B. J. Johnson removed by trans- 
fer; three had passed away by death. 

This large decrease in our membership, the general 
state of the country, the disorganized condition of 
the Church by the absence of nearly all the white 
men in the army, called upon those who remained for 
more than ordinary faith. But with faith in God our 
Conference work was completed. 

The districts remained the same, except Jackson- 
ville, which was served by J. M. Hendry in place of 
J. W. Mills, who had gone into the army as chaplain. 

This year was one of general discouragement, the 
large decrease in ministerial force, the fact that near- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



ly all who remained were compelled to engage in some 
secular employment to supplement their support to 
the point of actual necessity, and the state of the 
country at large, caused a decrease of three hundred 
and fifty-seven white and nine hundred and eighty- 
seven colored members. The roll call of deaths this 
year was also heavy. 

Peyton P. Smith was a leading member of the Con- 
ference from its organization, having previously trav- 
eled twelve years under the direction of the Georgia 
Conference while it embraced Florida. At the time 
of our organization he was presiding elder of the Tal- 
lahassee District. From then to the close of his life 
he tilled important positions. He carried close system 
into everything he touched. He kept a voluminous 
diary, from which we learn that he was a preacher for 
thirty years and four months, that he preached four 
thousand four hundred and fourteen sermons, made 
live thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine visits, 
wrote four thousand nine hundred and forty-one let- 
ters, traveled almost entirely by private conveyance 
one hundred and three thousand six hundred and 
twenty-three miles. He was tall and slender, had a 
broad though low forehead, and when animated had 
a piercing eye. His sermons were always systemat- 
ic, and generally doctrinal. His descriptive powers 
were good, and when bordering on the awful he be- 
came almost overwhelming. Who that ever heard 
him preach when deeply moved, from the text, 
"Therefore will I number you to the sword," can 
ever forget the impression made? His last illness 
was short, his end triumphant. 

John J. Richards was a man of fervent spirit, a 



92 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



fine singer, a good preacher, and a faithful laborer. 
He died of cancer, in Madison, after having served 
the Church twenty-four years, being forty-six years 
of age. 

Joseph A. W. Johnson was a member of the Con- 
ference seven years. Earnest and faithful, he was 
loved in every charge he served. But consumption 
severed the silver cord, and in his early manhood 
transferred him from his earthly prison to the palace 
of his God. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



From 1863 to 1866. 

The twentieth session of oar Conference met in 
Thomasville December 16, 1863, Bishop Andrew pre- 
siding: F. A. Branch, Secretary. Here we admitted 
Alfred Holcombe, D. L. Branning, W. A. McLean, 
and A. T. Hollymau. 

A. Holcombe traveled two years, discontinued, and 
settled in Orange County, serving the Church as a 
useful local preacher. 

I )a\ id L. Branning was a young man of fine natural 
abilities, a good academic education, a fine singer, 
and faithful worker. He traveled a few years; then 
the cares of a large family, and the meager support 
growing out of the condition of the country, caused 
him to locate. He lives in AValdo, highly respected, 
a local preacher, and a faithful worker. 

W. A. McLean was a young man of fine education, 
a good preacher, and faithful worker, but the neces- 
sities of his family caused his early location. He 
went to Jacksonville and practiced law. For many 
years he served as Judge of Probate, and is always 
ready to preach and work for the Church. 

A. T. Holly man was also a young man of fine 
preaching abilities, a useful man, but soon passed to 
the local ranks. When I last saw him he was still 
doing good work as a local preacher. 

Though the Conference had encouragement in the 
admission of these young men, still the war cloud 
lowered, society was disorganized, and the general 



94 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



prospect was far from encouraging. Few changes 
were made, and the preachers returned to meet what- 
ever changes might await them. I was sent to Ala- 
chua Colored Mission; but owing to the fact of Rev. 
T. A. Carruth leaving our Church and joining the 
Presbyterian, I was changed to the Micanopy Circuit 
at our first quarterly meeting. 

Our Conference held its twenty-first session at 
Monticello December 14, 1864. Rev. S. P. Richard- 
son was elected President, and F. A. Branch, Secre- 
tary. John M. Potter and J. O. A. Sparks were ad- 
mitted. Thomas H. Capers and Marshal G. Jenkins 
readmitted. Henry D. Moore was received by trans- 
fer. James G. Acton located. Henry F. Smith, 
Leroy B. Giles, R. W. Burgess, David L. Kennedy, 
Amos Davis, and John P. Urquhart had died. 

The white men of our State were nearly all in the 
Confederate army. 

Three of our members were sent as missionaries to 
the soldiers, and the rest were sent to the various 
fields of labor within our bounds. But nearly all of 
these were compelled to supplement their small sala- 
ries by some secular occupation. 

Of our comrades that had fallen during the year, 
we only state that Henry F. Smith embraced religion 
when quite young, joined our Conference in 1856, 
rendered eight years of efficient service, was earnest 
but not morose, fell at his post saying as he passed 
away: "All is well." 

Leroy B. Giles joined our Church when quite 
young, was admitted into our Conference in 1856, 
spent the remainder of his life in faithful, useful, 
and loving labor, sweetly passing away in peace. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



95 



R. W. Burgess, formerly of the South Carolina 
Conference, was readmitted in Micanopy in 1860. 
Though not brilliant, he was deeply spiritual, ear- 
nest, and useful. His end was peace. 

David L. Kennedy was converted while young; be- 
gan his ministerial work in Tennessee, and was trans- 
ferred to us in 1855. He possessed fine intellectual 
powers, and during the nine years of service to our 
Conference his advancement was rapid. He had a 
pleasing address, a consecrated heart, and a life of 
usefulness. 

Amos Davis rendered ten years of faithful service 
to the Conference, and passed to his reward in holy 
triumph. 

John F. Urquhart rendered the Conference but 
four years' service, but his earnest zeal won many 
seals to his ministry. Several years ago, the now 
sainted Corly, of Georgia, told me that Urquhart was 
his spiritual father. He described the scene of the 
young missionary going to his camp during the war, 
preaching to the soldiers, then wrestling in prayer 
with the young officer until he found peace. I re- 
plied to him that our young brother w^as taken from 
us early, yet he still preaches through you, and 
you will doubtless leave some one to pass the word 
down through the ages. u Yes," said he; "no minis- 
ter has a right to die until he has consecrated his 
successor." 

The twenty-second session of our Conference was 
held in Madison November 29, 1865, Bishop Pierce 
presiding, and F. A. Branch, Secretary. 

No pen, much less mine, could draw a picture of 
this Conference session. Since our last, the bloody 



96 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



civil war had closed, and the remainder of the armies 
returned to their desolate homes. Half a million of 
graves from the two armies marked the desolation of 
war. There was scarcely a family that had not been 
decimated by its ravages. The whole system of la- 
bor was crushed, currency destroyed, plantations des- 
olated, and political disabilities heaped upon us, 
while home itself was insecure. 

With many misgivings the preachers had left their 
homes to attend Conference. We scarcely dared con- 
template the future. How could we meet the actual 
necessities of wives and children and yet serve the 
Church, when that Church was bankrupt in purse 
and almost despairing in mind? But the crisis was 
met with a living faith. The work was rearranged, 
as far as possible, to meet the necessities of the 
case. 

W. S. Rice was admitted. J. R. Harold and G. C. 
Andrews located. W. L. Murphy had been called to 
his reward. He was a native of Ireland; had begun 
his ministerial career in the Baltimore Conference in 
1846; for a number of years had been a member of 
our Conference, a devout Christian, an able minister, 
and a gentleman in all the relations of life. 

This year I was sent to Leon Circuit and colored 
charge. This charge embraced the largest colored 
population of any in our bounds. The new relation 
to the freedmen involved very delicate responsibili- 
ties. Previously our Church had spent large amounts 
for "missions to people of color." In addition to 
this, each minister was required to give one service 
each Sunday to them. We had also made special ar- 
rangements, for all who desired to do so, to wor- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



97 



ship with the whites in all our churches. Hence we 
had a large colored membership all over the South. 

But now with a change of circumstances there 
must be a change of operations. It was utterly im- 
possible for us to keep up our missions; still we tried 
to render them all the service possible, and could we 
have served them with the whites, until they could 
have ministers of their own color, at least partially 
educated, it would have been better for them. But 
the perfect flood of what was known as ''carpetbag- 
gers," in their endeavors to obtain power and wealth 
for themselves by the votes of the enfranchised f reed- 
men, so operated upon them that before the close of 
this year most of them had withdrawn from our 
communion. We, however, continued to serve them 
wherever practicable, and during the year preached, 
generally to large congregations. 

Our Conference held its twenty-third session in 
Quincy December 13, 1866, Bishop McTyeire pre- 
siding, and F. A. Branch, Secretary. Nathan Talley 
and earnest Crum were admitted. R. H. Rogers was 
readmitted. James P. De Pass was received by 
transfer. Our reports showed a decrease of seven 
hundred and fifty-nine whites and two thousand five 
hundred and five colored members. 

The General Conference had divided the Georgia 
Conference, and put all our territory in that State 
into the South Georgia Conference. This took from 
us nearly half our territory and involved the transfer 
of nearly half of our members. By this means we 
lost from our roll J. M. Hendry, M. G. Jenkins, J. 
W. Simmons, S. G. Chilcls, C. P. Jones, M. H. Field- 
ing, J. D. Maulden, Nathan Talley, O, L. Smith, 
7 



9'8 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



James Harris, J. W. Mills, W. A. Parks, R. H. How- 
ren, R. M. Flournoy, O. B. Stanley, W. M. Kennedy, 
R. F. Evans, H. D. Moore, J. M." Potter, J. G. Wor- 
ley, J. M. N. Lowe, and C. P. Jones. 

The following tells of those removed by death dur- 
ing the year: 

Thomas H. Capers was the son of Gabriel Capers, 
and nephew of Bishop Capers. He was born in South 
Carolina in 1811, entered the Georgia Conference 
when nineteen years of age, located in 1846, was re- 
admitted into the Florida Conference in 1861, and 
died in Monticello October 15, 1866. He was a pol- 
ished gentleman, a zealous laborer, and an earnest 
Christian. 

Francis M. Wilson, at the time of his death, was 
nearly thirty-three years of age. At seventeen he 
was converted, and five years afterwards entered the 
ministry. His faith was strong, he labored zealously 
eleven years, and peacefully passed to his reward. 

Mahlon Bedell was born in North Carolina in 1806. 
He embraced religion and entered the ministry in 
South Carolina when quite young, where he remained 
some years. He gave the remnant of his days to 
Georgia and Florida. c 4 Blessed are the dead that die 
in the Lord." 

This year I served the Gadsden Circuit. 



CHAPTER IX. 



From 1867 to 1876. 

Ouk Conference held its twenty-fourth session in 
Monticello, beginning December 6, 1867, Bishop 
Pierce in the chair, and F. A. Branch, Secretary. 

In some respects this was a sad Conference to the 
members. From year to year we had been called 
upon to see here and there a vacant seat in our body. 
But now nearly half our number were gone, most of 
whom we should see no more in the flesh. The ter- 
ritory rendered dear to many of us by years of toil, 
no longer ours, the missions which under God we had 
raised to stations and circuits, now belonged to an- 
other Conference. Although these are but the out- 
come of progress, and necessary to the further devel- 
opment of the work, yet the change means the sever- 
ing of many sacred ties. 

After the work had been arranged we had four 
districts, the number with which we started twenty- 
three years ago. We had thirty-six effective men, 
only five more than we had then. Four of these were 
just admitted— viz., W. McKay, T. K. Leonard, C. H. 
Bernheim, and E. J. Knight. 

We rejoiced in the fact that none of our number 
had been called away by death. Our minutes show 
an increase of four hundred and twelve white and a 
decrease of nine hundred and seventeen colored mem- 
bers. 

W. F. Easterling, James B. Jackson, W. E. Col- 



Lof C. 



100 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



lier, and T. W. Moore were appointed to the districts. 
I was sent to Micanopy. 

Our Conference held its twenty-fifth session in 
Jacksonville, beginning January 13, 1869, Bishop 
Wightman, President, and F. A. Branch, Secretary. 
We admitted on trial J. H. D. McRae and George C. 
Level. We reported increase of whites, three hun- 
dred and one; decrease of colored, eighty- one. The 
collections for the year had been: Conference collec- 
tions, $625; domestic missions, $318.15; foreign mis- 
sions, $135. We lost by transfer F. R. C. Ellis and 
W. H. Thomas; by death, James B. Jackson and Wil- 
liam McKay. 

James B. Jackson was a remarkable man. Until 
fourteen years of age he did not know that he had 
seen a Bible. About this time the children of the 
family where he was working taught him his letters. 
One of them gave him a Testament, which was then 
his first and only book. This he spelled through. 
Soon he was teaching school, was converted and 
shortly entered the ministry, which he faithfully 
served for over thirty years. He filled important 
places both in Georgia and Florida. He died in per- 
fect peace in Lake City February 18, 1868. His 
death was caused by a railroad accident at Baldwin. 

William McKay was a native of Scotland. In early 
life his family came to America and settled in Rome, 
Ga. He entered the army and was wounded. He 
was a faithful Christian in or out of the army. In 
1868 he entered his eternal rest from the Ancilla Mis- 
sion, where he was serving his second year. 

The twenty-sixth session of our Conference met in 
Lake City December 20, 1869, Bishop Doggett in the 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



101 



chair, and J. P. De Pass, Secretary. T. W. Tom- 
kies, R. H. Barnett, S. E. Philips, and U. S. Bird 
were admitted. M. A. Clonts was readmitted, and Oli- 
ver Eady was received by transfer. C. P. Murdock 
located. J. O. A. Sparks had been called to rest. 
He was a man of intellect, a natural orator. He had 
preached in Georgia two years, had served Gaines- 
ville, Fla., two years, and at our last Conference he 
was sent to Key West, where he fell at his post, a 
martyr to yellow fever, May 15. His end was peace. 

The Conference held its twenty-seventh session 
in Tallahassee, beginning January 4, 1871, Bishop 
Wightman presiding, and U. S. Bird, Secretary. D. 
W. Core. J. W. Barnett. S. Moore, R. M. Ellzey, and 
J. East were admitted. J. J. Sealey, C. P. Murdock, 
and S. A. McCook were readmitted. J. M. Stokes 
and W. Jerdone were received by transfer. W. W. 
Hicks was received from the Lutheran Church. J. 
W. Jackson and D. L. Branning located. R. I. Mc- 
Cook had been removed by death. He had served the 
Church faithfully for a number of years, and died in 
peace in Key West. W. W. Hicks was removed by 
transfer. 

Our reports showed an increase of one thousand six 
hundred and sixty white, and a decrease of two hun- 
dred and ninety-six colored members: The districts 
remained the same, and were served by A. J. Wool- 
drich, J. A. Wiggins, J. P. De Pass, and E. F. Gates. 
I was returned to Micanopy. 

Our Conference met for its twenty-eighth session 
in Madison January 3, 1872, Bishop Wightman pre- 
siding, and U. S. Bird, Secretary. Henry E. Part- 
ridge was admitted. C. A. Fulwood, A. A. Robin- 



102 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



son, and W. R. Johnson were received by transfer. 
C. P. Murdock located. A. J, Wooldrich and 
Thomas Taylor had been removed by death. 

A. J. Wooldrich was a polished shaft, genial, lov- 
ing, polite, and earnest. He never forgot the smallest 
point in the life of a gentleman. He filled some of 
our most important fields. He loved every one, and 
was loved by all. 

Thomas Taylor was a plain, practical man. He 
was an old man when he entered the Conference, 
faithfully served for several years, passed to the su- 
perannuate list, and in 1872 peacefully passed to his 
reward. 

This year our districts were reduced to three, and 
were served by J. A. Wiggins, J. P. De Pass, and E. 
H. Giles. 

This year my health was somewhat feeble; and this, 
with other considerations, caused me to ask a superan- 
nuate relation. I did so with many misgivings, and 
was never satisfied with it. Though, during the two 
years I held that relation, I preached nearly as much 
and tried to serve the Church as faithfully as if I had 
been in charge of a pastorate. And here I would re- 
cord, with thankfulness, that, although never strong, 
yet I have not been prevented by sickness during the 
last twenty-five years, from filling my regular ap- 
pointments an average of one sermon for each Sun- 
day in the year. And now (1897), though near seven- 
ty-five years of age, I can preach two or three times 
a day without special inconvenience. To God be all 
the glory. 

Our Conference held its twenty-ninth session in 
Fernandina January 8, 1873, Bishop Marvin presid- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



103 



ing, and U. S. Bird, Secretary. J. S. Collier and J. D. 
Rogers were admitted. J. M. Bridges was readmit- 
ted. CD. Nicholson and G. Bright were received 
by transfer. J. Rast located. The returns showed a 
decrease of one hundred and twenty-seven white and 
seven colored members. T. K. Leonard, L. G. R. 
Wiggins, E. B. Duncan, W. K. Turner, and U. S. 
Bird left us by transfer. 

Our thirtieth session met in Jacksonville January 
7. 1874, Bishop Pierce presiding, and F. Pasco, Sec- 
retary. 

J. E. A. Vanduzer, R. Martin, W. H. F. Roberts, 
A. A. Barnett, J. D. McDonell, S. D. Robinson, 
McK. F. McCook, and T. J. Philips were admitted. 
J. P. Fitzpatrick, R. H. Ho wren, and W. F. Lewis 
were received by transfer. There were no locations 
nor deaths. 

Our increase of members was two hundred and 
twenty-eight whites and twenty colored. 

Another district was formed. The districts were 
served by S. Woodbury, A. A. Robinson, T. W. 
Moore, and J. J. Sealey. 

I was sent to Micanopy and Gainesville Circuit. 
This year we built a church in Gainesville. We had 
at first preached in the courthouse; after the Presby- 
terians completed their house they kindly offered us 
its use one Sunday in the month, but after years of 
labor we still saw but little fruits to our church. This 
year we resolved to have a house of worship of our 
own. But the observer of the present day can hardly 
conceive of what that undertaking involved. With 
between twenty and thirty members, all poor, and 
with very small income, it required strong faith to 



104 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



begin the work. But the lot was given by the county 
commissioners. Mr. Grissom agreed to superintend 
the work for nothing, if money was furnished weekly 
to pay the mechanics. The lumber was secured, and 
then came the " tug of war." The carpenters had to 
be paid every week. The ladies worked, walked the 
streets, and begged from all they met, Jew or Gentile, 
saint or sinner. Though often discouraged, ' ' faint yet 
pursuing," they never rested until the building was 
completed and furnished. Great was our joy when we 
entered our own place of worship. A Sabbath school 
and prayer meeting was organized the same day. And 
now, looking back over the past twenty-three years, 
I see the laborers of that day, all at work, all the time 
at work, until the "capstone is brought forth with 
shouting and praise." Among the foremost of that 
band stands Mr. Grissom, Rev. O. A. Myers, Capt. 
Crawford, Mrs. Myers, Mrs. McCall, Mrs. G. P. 
Thomas, Mrs. McKinstrey, Mrs. R. Y. H. Thomas, 
and J. C. Gardner. From that time until now our 
progress has been marked, and to-day we can but ex- 
claim: u What hath God wrought! " 

Our Conference held its thirty-first session in Live 
Oak December 16, 1874, Bishop Wightman presid- 
ing, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

W. Robertson and J. A. Castel were admitted. M. 
M. Michean, T. A. Carruth, A. Peeler, and J. M. Hen- 
dry were readmitted. W. W. Hicks, C. E. Dowman, 
O. W. Ransom, and R. D. Gentry were received by 
transfer. J. M. Bridges and T. A. Carruth located. 
W. F. Lewis was removed by transfer, and George 
Bright by death. He was a man of good academic 
education, a strong reasoner, perhaps a little too fond 



FIFTY-TWO TEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



105 



of controversy. He had been in the itineracy about 
twenty-four years, only two of which were spent in 
Florida. He died in Key West of yellow fever Sep- 
tember 20, 1871. 

Our reports showed an increase of one thousand 
and titty-two white and nine colored members, also 
an increase in value of churches of $13,100, and of 
parsonages of $4,710. 

1 was returned to Micanopy and Gainesville. 

Our Conference held its thirty-second session in 
Quincy, beginning January 5, 1876, Bishop Wight- 
man presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

H. F. Philips and G. W. Mitchell were admitted. 
W. G. Boothe was readmitted. H. B. Frazer, W. C. 
Collins, J. H. Johnson, W. F. Norton, and W. M. 
Watts were received by transfer. C. D. Nicholson 
and W. W. Hicks located. J. Anderson was removed 
by transfer, and J. M. Stokes, S. A. McCook, and 
J. E. A. Vanduzer were removed by death. 

James M. Stokes was a man of very feeble health, 
yet possessed wonderful pathos and fervent piety. 
Though engaged several years in the ministry, his 
health enabled him to do but few years of regular 
work, two only of which w^ere in Florida. He died 
in Live Oak April 19, 1875, beloved by his brethren 
and in perfect peace with his God. 

S. A. McCook was a native of Georgia. He en- 
tered the Conference in 1852, where he labored until 
1861. He was readmitted in 1871. In three years 
his health failed, and July 7, 1875, he peacefully 
breathed his last. 

J. E. A. Vanduzer was a native of New York. He 
was admitted into our Conference in January, 1871, 



106 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



and was sent as a missionary to the Cubans in Key 
West, where he died of yellow fever June 7, 1875. 
His stay with us was short, but his lovely spirit and 
fervent piety caused hiru to be loved by all. His last 
words were: "Tell the Conference not to give up the 
Cuban Mission." 

This year I was sent to organize Orange Lake Mis- 
sion. We organized a church at Millwood, since 
which time they built a church, and about 1891 they 
removed the society and built a nice church on the 
railroad at Reddick. They have since built a parson- 
age and made this the headquarters of the Reddick 
Circuit. Another appointment was Cabbage Ham- 
mock, where we received a number of members and 
organized a church which has since been removed to 
Citra and is now a nourishing station. Another ap- 
pointment was Spring Hill, which has since been re- 
moved to Anthony, where a good church and parson- 
age have been built. This is now the headquarters 
of the Anthony Circuit. 

The year was one of much pleasure to the pastor, 
and we trust of good to the people. 



CHAPTER X. 

From 1877 to 1880. 

The thirty-third session of our Conference met in 
Monticello January 11, 1877, Bishop Pierce presid- 
ing, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

Having been unable to procure the minutes for this 
session, we simply state that J. B. Ley with others was 
admitted. I was sent to Key West, first charge, where 
I remained four years. This charge included the su- 
perintendency of our Cuban Mission. H. B. Someil- 
lan was the missionary. On reaching my charge I 
soon realized that if anything of importance was done 
for the Cuban work we must have a place of worship 
for them. On looking around I found a very eligible 
site for a church, with an almost new house on it. 
The owner wanted to leave the city, and offered the 
property at a very low price (one thousand two hun- 
dred and fifty dollars). I saw that for seven hundred 
and fifty dollars the house could be remodeled and 
made into a chapel sufficient to accommodate our con- 
gregation, and in a central position for the Cuban 
population. Meeting Bishop Pierce at Manatee in 
the spring, I laid the whole matter before him. He 
promised his help to raise one thousand dollars from 
the missionary society, and we began the tedious 
work of raising the remainder. The lot was finally 
purchased and paid for, the house remodeled and fur- 
nished, and our Cuban brethren moved into their own 
premises. It is true the house was not altogether 
such a one as we could have desired, but the audito- 



108 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



rium was neat and capable of seating some three hun- 
dred people. It also gave to our Cuban work a home 
and habitation, from which our present work among 
the Cubans has developed. 

During these years Rev. H. B, Someillan rendered 
faithful work to the mission. Rev. A. Silvera and 
Miss Pyfrom conducted a school which wielded a 
good influence upon the children. Rev. S. Gardener, 
a former pastor of our Church in Key West, had been, 
perhaps, the first to preach to them from our Church 
there. Rev. C. A. Fulwood followed, and during his 
pastorate Mr. Vanduzer was sent as missionary to the 
Cubans. He was succeeded by Mr. Diaz, a whole- 
souled, spiritual man, who had wonderful influence 
with the Cubans. He circulated literature, prayed, 
and preached, and during his brief ministry there 
were nearly one hundred names added to our Church. 
But the adding of names to the Church roll we found 
to be the easiest part of our work. I will illustrate. 
A Cuban arrives in the city and is told there is a 
Methodist Church there. Curiosity prompts him to 
go out and see for himself. The church is' pointed 
out. To one accustomed to magnificent cathedrals, pat- 
ronized by the State and ornamented by the gifts of 
the wealthy for centuries, our little chapel, without 
spire, bell, or ornaments, seems very insignificant. 
But he enters, sees a minister rise, sing, pray, and 
preach. At the simple story of the cross the tear 
starts in his eye. Services closed, he meets the mis- 
sionary in the aisle, and says: u I like your service, I 
want to join your Church." But undertake to ex- 
pound a spiritual regeneration to him, and you will 
find that he thinks he was made a Christian when he 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



109 



was baptized, and to urge the necessity of the new 
birth only evokes the question : ' ' How can these 
things be? " 

But the difficulty and triumph in some of these 
cases may be understood by the experience of one 
man. Having struggled with these questions long 
and earnestly, he said: "I finally realized that man 
has a body, which is material; he also has a soul, which 
is spiritual; water is material. Now the application of 
water, which is material, to my body, which is mate- 
rial, can never remove the sins from my soul, which 
is spiritual." Then, tearing loose from the mere or- 
dinance of the Church, he found peace through faith 
in Christ alone. 

I often preached to the Cubans through an inter- 
preter, and wrote sermons which were translated and 
read to them by the missionary. But I must leave 
them and c'ome to my special charge. 

The population of the city at that time was esti- 
mated at sixteen thousand, roughly estimated at one- 
third Bahaians and their descendants, one-third Cu- 
bans, and one-third negroes, with some natives of 
different parts of the United States, and some from 
nearly all parts of the world. 

My congregation with its following was about one 
thousand, nearly three hundred of whom were mem- 
bers of the Church and between four and five hun- 
dred members of the Sabbath school. Our church 
had been estimated to seat eight hundred persons, but 
we found it too small to seat the congregation. Be- 
sides it had been standing for over thirty years, was 
fearfully out of repair, and was considered by many 
unsafe for a large congregation. The style was anti- 



110 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



quated, and while many thought we could not build 
a new house, the sentiment was general not to spend 
money on the old one. After many consultations a 
plan was adopted near the close of my first year, and 
the corner stone was laid. The building was to be of 
stone quarried upon the island, and the work was to 
proceed only as we had money in hand to pay as the 
work progressed. The collection of funds was com- 
mitted to the pastor, and we found that to raise funds 
each week to pay for the work of the week gave him 
plenty of practice in walking. But during the three 
years we raised and paid on it over five thousand dol- 
lars, finished the wall of the first story, put on a tem- 
porary covering, and began worshiping in it. 

The plan after I left was finally changed, the con- 
gregation becoming discouraged in regard to carrying 
out the original design, and finished it up as a one- 
story building. 

During our stay in Key West we passed through 
two epidemics of yellow fever, but, thanks be to God! 
while we were severely and dangerously afflicted, none 
of us died. Many hallowed associations cluster around 
the memory of our home on that 4 c seagirt isle. " Many 
loved ones have crossed the flood, which makes the 
hope of heaven sweeter. 



CHAPTER XI. 



From 1877 to 1883. 

The Conference held its thirty-fifth session in 
Gainesville, beginning November 3, 1878, Bishop 
Kavanaugh presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. T. 
J. Nixson, W. S. Richardson, A. W. J. Best, W. M. 
Mcintosh, and F. R. Bridges were admitted on trial. 
T. A. Carruth was readmitted. W. O. Butler, N. Z. 
Glenn, W. Shockley, and P. T. Mann were received 
by transfer. J. T. Neel, E. H. Giles, and R. D. Gen- 
try located. N. Z. Glenn and J. B. McFarland were 
removed by transfer. George W. Fagg, E. B. Dun- 
can, S. B. Smitteel, and E. W. Woodbury died. 

George W. Fagg had spent many years in the Avork 
earnestly and successfully. He loved every one, and 
they in turn loved him. 

E. B. Duncan was an old man, and had given a long 
life to the work, several years of which he labored as 
missionary among the Indians. He finished his course 
in peace. 

S. B. Smittoel was a faithful and useful man. His 
dust rests in hope. 

E. W. Woodbury was a bright and earnest young 
man, but before the bud was matured it was trans- 
planted to bloom by the river of life. 

Onr Conference held its thirty-sixth session in Tal- 
lahassee, beginning December 17, 1879, Bishop Dog- 
gett in the chair, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

W. S. Armistead, W. Dunbar, J. B. Johnston, M. 
A. Philips, and A. M. C. Russell were admitted. R. 



112 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



M. Tydings, James Atkins, and C. H. Ford were re- 
ceived by transfer. Isaac Mundane and George C. 
Leavel had been called to their reward. 

They had been earnest and spiritual laborers, and 
passed peacefully to their everlasting rest. 

Our thirty-seventh session of the Conference con- 
vened in Ocala December 16, 1880, Bishop Pierce 
presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

P. B. Bryan, S. B. Black, O. A. Hiscock, L. W. 
Moore, and T. A. Branch were admitted. H. B. 
Avery was received by transfer. H. T. Philips, T. 
A. Carruth, and C. H. Ford located. 

I was sent to Marion Circuit. The work had no 
parsonage, consequently I lived at my home at Mi- 
canopy. This required long rides each week, but we 
received a cordial welcome, and spent this and the 
following years pleasantly and, I trust, profitably. 

Near the close of the second year arrangements 
were made for building a parsonage, which was ac- 
complished the following year. 

The thirty-eighth session of our Conference con- 
vened in Monticello January 18, 1882, Bishop Mc- 
Tyeire presiding, and F. Pasco,. Secretary. 

E. J. Holmes, W. H. Steinmyer, W. F. Le Gette, 
A. Silvera, and E. F. Ley were admitted. E. H. 
Giles was readmitted. R. L. Honiker, E. H. Har- 
mon, H. H. Kennedy, A. C. Le Gette, and W. A. 
Simmons were received by transfer. S. A. Carson, 
T. W. Moore, and W. M. Mcintosh located. W. G. 
Royster had died. 

He had been a faithful minister, earnest and de- 
voted. He insisted earnestly on the execution of 
every point of our discipline, great and small, 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



113 



Our Conference held its thirty-ninth session in 
Jacksonville January 3, 1883, Bishop Kavanaugh pre- 
siding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

A. O. Baker, J. H. D. McRae, James Russell, C. 
W. Morrison. W. R. Reasonover, M. H. Outland, J. 

G. Graham, J. F. Shancls, J. C. Pace, and T. A. 
Branch were admitted. J. W. Hannah, Jr., T. S. 
Armistead, J. S. Smith, P. L. Smith, and P. A. Mur- 
ray were received by transfer. 

Our death record this year was large: T. R. Bar- 
nett, E. J. Hughes, J. A. Wiggins, S. L. Smith, and 

H. B. Avery. 

T. R. Barnett was one of our aged men, had served 
the Church long and acceptably and with much use- 
fulness. He leaves to the Church many spiritual 
children and two sons who are earnest laborers and 
useful ministers in our Conference. 

J. A. Wiggins was a man of power who had ren- 
dered much service to the Church, both in Georgia 
and Florida. 

S. L. Smith, young, educated, prudent, spiritual, 
and lovely, was called in his young manhood from 
labor to rest. 

H. B. Avery, though feeble in health, was strong 
intellectually and spiritually. His work was well 
done; he rests in peace. 
8 



CHAPTER XII. 



From 1884 to 1889. 

Our Conference held its fortieth session in Madi- 
son, commencing January 14, 1884, Bishop Keener 
presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

S. S. Gasque, T. J. Evans, George Lee, T. M. 
White, O. W. Collier, J. Russell, R. Storke, and E, 
B. Pooser were admitted on trial. W. R. Reasonover, 
J. C. Pace, and O. A. Hiscock were discontinued. 
John Penny, O. W. Ransom, and W. O. Hampton 
had died. 

John Penny was a Scotchman. He was impulsive 
and often expressed his feelings roughly, yet had a 
kind heart, and was always ready to forgive and ask 
forgiveness whenever there was occasion. He was 
one of our original members, and did much hard fron- 
tier work in the early years of our Conference. But 
in his young manhood he was attacked with throat 
trouble, and was compelled to spend the remainder of 
his years upon the superannuated list. 

O. W. Ransom came to us from the Tennessee Con- 
ference. He was at that time in very feeble health, 
and came hoping to find relief in our climate; but 
consumption finished its work in a few years, and he 
peacefully fell asleep. 

W. A. Hampton rendered us a few years of faith- 
ful and useful work, and passed triumphantly to his 
rest. 

The forty-first session of our Conference met in 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



115 



Gainesville January 7, 1885, Bishop Parker presid- 
ing, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

G. W. Kennedy, R. O. Weir, W. A. Brown, R. 
M. Evans, L. W. Browder, and J. E. Neal were ad- 
mitted. J. W. McCrary was readmitted. A. E. 
Householder, W. F. Alexander, B. E. Leclbetter, and 
J. S. Duncan were received by transfer. A. C. Le 
Gette and A. Silvera located. J. F. Shands, M. H. 
Outland, O. W. Collier, E. B. Pooser, and T. A. 
Branch were discontinued. C. W. Morrison, having 
been expelled, was discontinued by the Conference. 
Edwin L. Smith and J. J. Sealey had passed to their 
reward. 

E. L. Smith was earnest and faithful, and was cut 
down in the v r ery bud of usefulness. 

J. J. Sealey had been in the work for many years, 
had served districts, stations, and circuits, and was 
always successful. His spirit was sweet, his work 
earnest. He rests from his labors. 

Oar Conference held its forty-second session in Or- 
lando, beginning January 6, 1886, Bishop Hargrove 
presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

The weather was excessively cold, and marked an 
era in our State. The orange industry had become 
our chief source of income, especially in the east and 
south. But this freeze threw this back so as to crip- 
ple the finances of our State for years. 

At this Conference W. J. Dowell, D. A. Cole, W. 
J. Gray, A. O. Hiscock, C. W. Inman, J. N. Jones, 
W. J. Morris, F. Pixton, T. B. Reynolds, R. Storke, 
J. A. Giddens, and C. J. Williams were admitted. 

The Conference took steps for the publication of a 
Conference paper. Rev. J. P. De Pass was elected 



116 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



editor, if the committee should succeed in making ar- 
rangements for its publication. The arrangements 
were soon made, and the editor elect was called to the 
tripod, and in Sanford our Florida Christian Advo- 
cate made its appearance, and continues (1897) to pay 
weekly visits to all who desire its society. 

I had been appointed Sunday School Agent, but was 
changed to the Bronson Circuit by the presiding elder 
to fill the place made vacant by the removal of Mr. 
De Pass. Here we passed a pleasant year, renew- 
ing old acquaintances and forming new ones. The 
preaching services were not hard, though the travel- 
ing in buggy was. As there was no parsonage on the 
work, the pastor had to live at his home in Micanopy 
and serve the circuit from there. We had, however, 
a pleasant and, I think, successful year. There were 
numbers of accessions, and a good church built in 
Bronson. 

Our Conference held its forty-third session in Tal- 
lahassee December 16-21, 1886, Bishop Hendrix pre- 
siding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

A. H. Gibbons, J. M. Sweat, J. W. Porter, J. 
Belton, J. S. Barnett, H. A. H. Crompton, and W. 
S. McMannin were admitted. 

The author was sent to Cedar Keys Station, a small 
city on the Gulf at the western terminus of the F. 
C. and P. railroad. There was no church nor par- 
sonage here. I rented a part of a house, and began 
the work of the three following years. The Meth- 
odists, Presbyterians, and Baptists all worshiped in 
the basement of the schoolhouse. The membership 
of each was small. The room was too small for the 
congregation, and very inconvenient. And withal 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



117 



we were ""tenants at will." Any day the school com- 
mittee might need their premises and leave us with- 
out a place of worship. 

My son was stationed in Palatka at the time, and 
Bishop Hendrix had promised to go there and preach 
the dedication sermon of their new church. I went 
to meet him and consult him in regard to our work 
in Cedar Keys. He gave me much encouragement, 
promising his influence, that if we could secure the 
lot the Board would give us such assistance as would 
enable us to build. Returning, we secured the lot 
and began looking forward to our building. Soon 
after we began a daily prayer meeting, which was 
continued for nearly four weeks. All the Churches 
joined. Mr. Curry, from Gainesville, came to our 
assistance. My son also came from Palatka and 
helped us. The meeting resulted in over thirty ac- 
cessions to our Church, about the same to the Pres- 
byterian, and some to the Baptist and Episcopal 
Churches. During the same meeting we received a 
very liberal subscription to our church building, and 
soon began work. We finished a church costing 
about three thousand dollars, leaving very little debt, 
nearly all of which was to the Board of Church Ex- 
tension. They gave us two hundred and fifty dollars, 
and loaned us the same amount. 

TV r e also felt the absolute necessity of a parsonage, 
and with the assistance of one hundred and fifty dol- 
lars given and the same amount loaned from the 
woman's branch of Church Extension we secured a 
good building near the church. A small debt was 
left on the parsonage, which has since been liqui- 
dated, as well as the debt upon the church. 



118 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



I ought here to state that after the lines of railroads 
were completed to Tampa the line of travel has been 
diverted from here. This, with the closing of some 
of the mills, has reduced the population, so that (in 
1897) it is not as large as when I was there. I should 
also state that during a storm (about 1891) a tidal 
wave struck Cedar Keys, and swept churches, dwell- 
ings, and everything in its track. Oar church was 
totally wrecked, but is being rebuilt. 

Before leaving Cedar Keys I ask the reader to in- 
dulge me in a personal note. On the 1st of Decem- 
ber, 1889, I received a telegram, announcing the 
death, on that day, of my precious mother. She was 
nearly ninety- three years of age. She was in fairly 
good health, arose that morning and ate her break- 
fast as usual, lay down to rest, dropped off to sleep, 
and without a struggle or groan awoke with her Sav- 
iour. To that being, whose sacred influence watched 
over me in childhood, and was my safest counselor in 
riper years, I owe all the pleasures of earth and all 
my hopes of heaven. May I meet her u over there! " 



CHAPTER XIII. 



From 1888 to 1895. 

Our Conference held its forty-fourth annual ses- 
sion in Leesburg, beginning December 14, 1887, 
Bishop Key presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

C. W. Braswell, I. S. Patterson, B. T. Rape, T. 
M. Strickland, W. W. Joiner, A. M. Dager, J. L. 
East, J. T. Bell, G. W. Sellers, W. J. Whiddon, G. 
W. Forrest, J. C. Pace, J. F. Shands, and S. Scott 
were admitted on trial. 

At this Conference Rev. J. P. De Pass resigned the 
office of editor of the Florida Christian Advocate, 
and J. Anderson, D.D., succeeded him. Soon after- 
wards the house that was publishing the paper gave 
it up and refused to publish it any longer. Howev- 
er, he managed to keep it going until Conference. 
He was then elected editor and publisher of the pa- 
per, and has continued in that position until the 
present. 

The Conference met for its forty-fifth session in 
Bartow January 9, 1889, Bishop Galloway presiding, 
and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

J. A. Howland, William Scott, F. E. Shipp, D. T. 
McMullen, W. A. Brown, W. P. Hawkins, J. M. 
Perez, B. F. Mason, J. C. Sale, C. C. Temple, and 
E. V. Blackman were admitted. J. E. Penny and 
E. Wilson were readmitted. J. B. Anderson, F. M. 
Moore, I. A. Vernon, W. P. Hawkins, and J. M. 
Pike were received by transfer. J. T. Duncan lo- 
cated. J. R. Sharpe, J. L. M. Spain, and A. H. 



120 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



Gibbons had died during the year. H. H. Kennedy, 
C. C. Thompson, E. H. Harmon, T. W. Dye, and 
W. M. Mcintosh were removed by transfer. 

Of those called to their reward, J. E. Sharpe was 
an earnest worker, and died at his post in Jackson- 
ville, a victim to yellow fever. 

Mr. Spain had been with us bat a few years, yet 
long enough to gain the love of those with whom he 
labored. 

A. H. Gibbons was a young man, just beginning 
his ministerial career. He was ardent, zealous, stu- 
dious, and spiritual. His end was peace. 

The forty-sixth session of our Conference met in 
Gainesville January 8, 1890, Bishop Keener in the 
chair, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

We admitted J. P. Abbott, J. A. White, J. B. 
Davis, Henry Hice, E. V. Blackman, T. H. Sistrunk, 
A. M. Mann, M. H. Outland, and C. A. Moya; by 
transfer, M. A. Philips, D. V. Price, T. G. Lang, J. 
A. White, J. H. Vann, and T. C. Bradford; dis- 
continued, M. G. Perez and J. F. Bell; located, 
George Lee and C. A. Sanders. Death had taken 
from us W. J. Morris and K. H. Howren. C. L. 
Patillo was removed by transfer. 

Mr. Morris was with us only a short time, having 
been paralyzed in his third year. He was a good 
man, u full of faith and the Holy Ghost." 

Robert H. Howren was a veteran, falling at his 
post in the fiftieth year of itinerent career. He was 
one of the original members of our Conference, and 
had tilled all classes of work, from mission to dis- 
trict, always acceptable, faithful, and useful. His 
end was triumphant. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



121 



The author was appointed to the Gainesville Dis- 
trict at this Conference, which he served two years. 
It extended from Cedar Keys, Gainesville, and Mel- 
rose on the north to Pemberton's Ferry on the south, 
embracing twenty pastoral charges. My health was 
generally good, and I missed but two appointments 
on account of sickness during the two years. The 
pastors worked well, and blessings crowned their la- 
bors. Many were converted and added to the Church. 

The connectional claims improved, and there was 
quite a revival in building and repairing churches 
and parsonages. 

Among the churches built, we might mention a 
beautiful one at Archer, under the ministry of Rev. 
W. S. Richardson; another at Rockelle under W. 

C. Collins, and one finished at Micanopy, under J. 
P. Hi] burn. A large and beautiful brick church was 
built in Ocala, under J. B. Ley. These years were 
passed pleasantly and, I trust, profitably to the work. 

The forty-seventh session of our Conference con- 
vened in Monticello January 7, 1891, Bishop Duncan 
presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

C. T. Blackburn, A. W. J. Best, A. O. Brown, C. 
S. Clariday, F. M. C. Eads, E. J. Gates, J. W. Hen- 
son, S. G. Madows, A. F. Pierce, S. W. Lawler, A. 

D. Penny, J. A. Riggs, C. M. Tillman, and E. K. 
Whiddon were admitted. H. T. Philips and R. M. 
Williams were readmitted. J. P. Hilburn, and J. 
T. Watts were received by transfer. H. W. Joiner 
located. M. A. Philips, D. V. Price, and F. M. 
Moore were removed by transfer. C. E. Pelot and 
R. M. Ty dings were removed by death. 

R. M. Tydings had been in the work nearly half 



122 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



a century. He was intelligent, faithful, and be- 
loved. His end was peace. 

C. E. Pelot was comparatively young, and earnest, 
faithful, and spiritual. His life was a grand success, 
and his end was triumphant. 

Our Conference held its forty-eighth session in 
Tampa, commencing January 6, 1892, Bishop Gran- 
berry presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary, 

C. B. Ames, W. B. Tresca, J. W. Brandford, G. 
W. Gatewood, J. L. Jones, W. A. Conoly, S. A. Mc- 
Cook, E. W. Barrington, J. A. Henry, A. S. Whe- 
don, W. C. Norton, M. J. Perez, J. P. Durrance, 
and John Beers were admitted on trial. R. A. Hol- 
loway, F. A. Taylor, and D. D. Warwick were re- 
ceived by transfer. G. W. Forrest and O. A. His- 
cock located. E. G. Chandler had died. 

He was a man of lovely spirit, earnest, fervent, 
and thoroughly consecrated. He suffered much and 
lingered long, but ended his work in peace. 

The forty-ninth session of our Conference met in 
Ocala January 4, 1893, Bishop Fitzgerald presiding, 
and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

J. E. Mickler, E. W. Barrington, H. V. Penny, 
S. W. Walker, F. M. Dukes, and W. F. Melton 
were admitted. C. A. Saunders was readmitted. 
E. D. Cameron, J. Dodwell, A. A. Barnett, T. J. 
Philips, W. J. Dowell, and R. O. Weir were re- 
ceived by transfer. J. A. Gidclens located. J. P. 
Abbott and S. A. McCook were discontinued, and H. 
J. H. Crump ton was expelled. 

The year had been one of prosperity to our 
Church, and showed improvement in nearly all of 
its interests. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS EN FLORIDA. 



123 



The fiftieth session of our Conference met in Pa- 
latka January 3, 1894:, Bishop Haygood presiding, 
and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

J. F. Bell C. F. Mellor, A. D. Akin, H. F. Har- 
ris, H. Bush. W. A. Weir, and X. L. Wiggins were 
admitted on trial. G. W. Forrest and J. T. Cole- 
man were readmitted. E. W. Barrington, T. A. 
Jordan. C. D. Ward. B. T. Rape, and J. W. Keith- 
ley were received by transfer. E. W. Barrington 
was discontinued. A. E. Pearce, A. O. Brown, C. 
C. Temple, and W. J. J. Whidden, located. A. A. 
Barnett, C. S. Bird, and A. Peeler had been re- 
moved by death. 

A. A. Barnett had scarcely reached his meridian. 
He entered the ministry when eighteen years of age, 
and for nineteen years made full proof of the same. 
His sermons were systematic, clear, chaste, and deep- 
ly spiritual. Whether he served missions, circuits 
stations, or districts, he was always beloved, and 
filled his charge usefully. 

C. S. Bird was transferred to us in 1885, and made 
full proof of his work until called to his reward. 

Dr. A. Peeler was one of the original members of 
our Conference, and was ordained elder at its first 
session. Part of his life was spent in the local ranks, 
and although useful there, his heart yearned for the 
regular pastorate, and he returned to spend his re- 
maining strength in the service. He was a clear rea- 
soner, and his sermons generally partook of a doc- 
trinal type. 

During this Conference the following resolution 
was adopted: 

Whereas we have been brought in much and signal mercy 



124 



I II TY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



to the fiftieth session of the Florida Annual Conference, and 
it is good to remember the mercies, and praise Him from 
whom they come; be it 

Resolved, That the Committee on Public Worship appoint 
a jubilee anniversary, selecting speakers and arranging a 
programme for the appropriate celebration of the semicen- 
tennial of the Florida Annual Conference. 

This resolution was afterwards reconsidered, and 
the jubilee was postponed until our next session, and 
C. A. Fulwood, J. C. Ley, and T. W. Moore were 
appointed a committee to arrange for the same. 

This brings us to the close of our first fifty years 
as a Conference, and to the opening of our fifty-first 
session, which met in Jacksonville January 9, 1895, 
Bishop Duncan presiding, and F. Pasco, Secretary. 

We take from the minutes the following extract: 
u In compliance with a resolution of the last session 
of our Conference in January, 1894, that we hold a 
juibilee service in commemoration of the close of the 
fiftieth year since our organization as a Conference 
at Tallahassee in January, 1845 [February, 1845], 
the afternoon and night of Thursday, January 9, 
1895, were devoted to said service. At 3 p.m. Rev. 
J. C. Ley, the only active member of the Confer- 
ence who was present at the Tallahassee Conference, 
preached a sermon appropriate to the occasion. At 
night Rev. T. W. Moore, D.D., presided, and after 
appropriate religious services Rev. F. Pasco, Secre- 
tary, read a paper entitled ' The History of the Flor- 
ida Conference by Decades.' Dr. Moore followed 
with a paper on 'The Darkest Period in the History 
of the Florida Conference.' Appropriate remarks 
were made by Rev. J. Anderson, D.D. Rev. F. A. 
Branch, a former member of the Conference, now of 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS EN FLORIDA. 



125 



the South Georgia Conference, having arrived too 
late to take part in the exercises of Thursday, by re- 
quest addressed the Conference on Saturday after- 
noon. A letter was read from Rev. E. L. T. Blake, 
D.D., a member of the Conference of 1845, now a 
superannuate, he being unable to attend." 

Thus ended our jubilee service. Many sad and 
many glorious reminiscences were renewed. Many 
new and glorious vistas of coming triumphs dazzled 
the eyes of preachers and people. But these exer- 
cises closed, and so must all things of earth. Yet the 
thought of a tinal reunion animates us by the way. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Conclusion. 

And now, dear reader, we approach the end of this 
humble volume. Should you say, " I am not satisfied 
with its contents," the author will reply in advance, 
"Neither am I." It has been written mostly while 
traveling circuits which required much riding, some 
of the time from necessity, to give part of my time to 
answering the questions for myself and family, ' ' What 
shall we eat, what shall we drink, and wherewithal 
shall we be clothed?" leaving no means for traveling 
in search of records, and but little for the purchase 
of books for reference. 

The book will show defects both in matter and man- 
ner, but perhaps it contains facts which may aid an 
abler pen in the future in producing a book of great- 
er merit. 

We have sadly passed over many names and inci- 
dents, with a brief sentence here and there, whose 
worth would require many pages to pay the tribute 
due. Many names appear with the brief notice of 
received and how disposed of, whose worth will only 
be revealed before the great white throne. But an 
attempt to do justice to all these would have swelled 
the volume far beyond the design of the author. 

Again, the effort to embrace the essential facts con- 
nected with the different sessions of our Conference 
with the admission of members, etc., of course ren- 
ders some parts monotonous. But these are impor- 
tant in their line, and may also render pleasure to 
some who read these pages, to find the name and date 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



127 



of admission of some whose memory they cherish, 
though the annals be ever so brief. 

Bat I now propose to close these labors with one 
or two personal reminiscences. I place in an appen- 
dix two sermons preached by the author, and pub- 
lished by request, as they are on the same line and 
may add some interest to the volume. One was 
preached before the Conference at Gainesville Janu- 
ary 11, 1885, while celebrating the Centennial of the 
organization of Methodism in America; the other 
before the Conference in Jacksonville January 10, 
1895, on the celebration of the semicentennial of the 
organization of the Florida Conference. 

And now, as a large part of my life has been spent 
in the saddle. I think it due the noble horse, the daily 
companion and friend of the Methodist itinerant, to 
give a brief notice to one of that noble race. 

In the annals of 1846 I alluded to trading for a 
pony. His name was " Wilie;" and a more delight- 
ful saddle horse, with a few exceptions, was not to be 
found. He could live and keep fat where most horses 
would have starved, would eat almost anything from 
the kitchen or dairy, and bear his rider forty miles 
or more in the day so smoothly that many were the 
volumes read and the sermons studied while on his 
back. Many were the streams swam, with the feet 
of the rider on top of the saddle, reaching the op- 
posite shore perfectly dry. But on one of these oc- 
casions, while the rider was thus perched up, he 
made a misstep which caused the saddlebags to 
rattle. Looking quickly and seeing the grotesque 
figure above him, he made a quick "right-about 
wheel," pitching the rider headforemost nearly to 



128 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



the bottom of the stream. On regaining my equi- 
librium I saw Wilie going up the hill from which 
he had come clown. I saw my hat, umbrella, and 
saddlebags floating rapidly down the stream. Ke- 
gaining these, I started for the retreating pony. 
But a run and walk of eight miles on a hot day 
through deep sand was necessary for the job. He 
would stop, eat grass, and wait until my hand was 
stretched forth to take the bridle; then, with the most 
provoking, fun-loving spirit, would kick up his heels, 
dash off a short distance and then resume his feeding 
as if nothing had happened. He made his way to the 
home of a friend, went into the lot, and patiently 
waited my arrival. I had prided myself upon my 
horsemanship, I had plenty of practice, and thought 
no horse could throw me. But I learned by experi- 
ence that when he saw proper, and I was off my 
guard, he could place his head between his fore legs, 
kick so high that his back was nearly perpendicular, 
at the same time making so sudden a whirl that his 
head would be in the opposite direction, and as his 
heels came to the ground he found himself running 
and the parson found himself in an awkward pile in 
the road. But farewell, Wilie; I shall never look upon 
your like again. 

I alluded in the annals of 1847 to fevers of the pre- 
vious year. The rainy season of 1846 was the most 
copious of any that I have ever experienced. From 
day to day my clothes were drenched by the rain and 
dried by the sunshine. In June I was taken down 
with bilious fever in Tampa, where I remained ten 
days, much of the time more or less delirious. Get- 
ting a little better, against the advice of my physi- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



129 



cian I started to meet roy appointments, but on 
reaching Brother Ham's (forty miles) I relapsed, 
and was unable to travel for several days. Remain- 
ing here until thinking I was able to travel, I started 
on my rounds, filled one appointment, and a chill 
came on before leaving the house. The next morn- 
ing, feeling a little better, I started for my next ap- 
pointment, but the fever soon rose until I knew not 
where I was. My faithful horse carried me to the 
home of Mr. Whitehurst, west of the Annuttaliga 
Hammock. Here I remained three weeks, feeling 
most of the time from day to day uncertain if I 
should live to see the next. Most of the family were 
down with fever. I did not expect to recover, but 
was not afraid of death; yet there was one thought 
that to me was terrible, to be buried there among 
strangers, far from the precious dust of loved ones. 
It took days of earnest struggling before I could say 
and feel: "The will of the Lord be done." But when 
that point was finally reached, such was the overflow 
of divine love and joy that with my remaining 
strength I shouted aloud the praises of God. From 
that time there was a turn for the better, and in due 
time I was again engaged in the loved employ of 
traveling, singing, and preaching the blessed gospel 
of my Saviour. But still I was subject to continued 
return of chills and fevers, until the following Feb- 
ruary, to which allusion has already been made. 

And now, dear reader, if the perusal of these lines 
has given you pleasure and profit, I rejoice. And 
praying that you and I "may so pass the waves of 
this world, as finally to come to the land of everlast- 
ing rest," I bid you farewell. 
9 



APPENDIX. 



CENTENARY OF METHODISM.* 

The poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matt, xi. 5.) 

We present it as an axiomatic fact, that the gospel 
comes not to receive blessings, but to bless. In all 
merely human systems, the object of the originators 
is either personal advantage or the elevation of their 
system; hence their appeal is to wealth and power. 
Christianity, coming from a higher plane, simply 
stoops to earth for the purpose of blessing humanity, 
and as such reaches its hand first to the most needy 
and the most helpless. When the Son of God pre- 
sents his credentials — credentials which are to com- 
mand the faith of the world — he rests his whole claim 
to Messiahship upon six points, rising one above an- 
other to the grand climax of our text: "The blind re- 
ceive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are 
cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, 
and the poor have the gospel preached to them." 

Christ preaches to the poor; if Nicodemus receives 
his message, by it His name with honor is handed 
down the ages. If a rich man of Aramathea believes 
and embalms the Saviour's body, he embalms his own 
name with immortality. If Mary anoints her Lord 
with ointment, her name receives the odor of its fra- 
grance and is wafted to the utmost bounds of time 
and space. Thus the Church comes to bless the 
world. No man is a necessity to the Church, but it is 
a necessity to every man; and the highest honors ever 
conferred upon a Newton, a Washington, a Wesley, 

*A sermon delivered before the Florida Annual Conference 
January 11. 1885. 



134 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



or a Stephens, were gathered at the foot of the cross. 
Then, with at least some degree of consciousness of 
the grandeur of Christ's Church and the frailty of 
man, we come to notice the one hundredth year of 
our existence as one branch of his Church in America. 

Bat where is boasting? It is excluded. Could we 
present in one grand panorama, what God has clone 
for the world during the past century, through the 
instrumentality of Methodism, we would fall upon 
our faces and adore, returning to him all the glory, 
and amidst the triumphant strains of praise would 
swell the chorus, still: "The poor have the gospel 
preached to them." 

We now enjoy our first celebration of this kind, 
and it will be our last. Asbury and the heroes of 
1784 are fallen asleep, and we occupy their places. 
If another service of this kind is ever held, it will be 
long after we are gathered to our fathers, and the 
third generation will be the actors. Then if this is 
om first — if this will be our last — how can we best 
improve it? Let us briefly review the past, survey 
the present, and, resting upon the promises and im- 
mutability of God, anticipate and prepare for future 
conquests. 

I. The Past. 
The true spirit of Christianity in every age has 
been to preach the gospel to the poor. This was the 
theme of Christ, of the apostles, of the early Church. 
Luther preached a free justification for the poor and 
awakened the pent up fires of ages, flashing their be- 
nign influence from the Mediteranean to the ice- 
bound regions of the North. A little less than one 
hundred and fifty years ago a company of devout 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



135 



students at Oxford united to search the Scriptures, 
pray, visit and preach to the poor, relieve distress as 
far as possible, and seek after personal holiness. 
Time will not permit us to dwell upon the struggles 
and triumphs of that little band; yet we cannot pass 
the eight or ten persons who in 1739 came to Mr. 
Wesley groaning for redemption, and asking advice 
as to how they were to flee from the wrath to come 
and be saved from their sins; nor the fact that their 
numbers increased daily. But we cannot follow the 
Wesley s, Whitefield, and their colaborers among the 
colliers, in the streets, in the woods, from a father's 
tombstone, everywhere preaching to the poor, while 
thousands receive the Word and are saved. 

Let us glance at the planting of Methodism upon 
these Western shores. The Wesleys had preached 
in Savannah. Whitefield, like a burning comet, had 
crossed the Atlantic thirteen times, and preached 
from Georgia to New England. The revival in Great 
Britain had caught in almost every hamlet of the em- 
pire, and with nearly every colony of adventurers 
there were some of the members of their societies. 
These brought with them some of the fire and system 
of the revival from whence they came. Embury and 
Barbary Heck are immortal in New York; Straw- 
bridge, in Maryland; Williams and King, borne on 
the tide of emigration to Virginia, fell the forest and 
support their families, yet go far and near preaching 
to the settlers, forming societies, building places of 
worship and breaking the fallow ground, preparing 
the field for the approaching harvest. 

But time fails to enumerate the hosts of God's elect, 
who, from Maine to Georgia, prepared the fields be- 



136 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



fore the missionaries arrived to take charge of them; 
as laymen planted Christianity of old in Antioch be- 
fore the arrival of the first apostles. 

Mr. Wesley sends over missionaries who find the 
fields "white unto the harvest." In 1773 the first 
Conference was held, and by 1776 the work had re- 
ceived body and form in nearly all the colonies. But 
the missionaries are Englishmen, and on the breaking 
out of the Revolutionary war most of them gave 
their influence with the mother country, and often 
"spoke unadvisedly with their lips." This resulted 
in the return of all the English missionaries, except 
the immortal Asbury. Yea, more, and worse: it 
fixed, as synonymous in the public mind the words 
"Methodist" and "Tory." A storm of persecution, 
unequaled in violence and extent, was waged against 
the now apparently helpless Church. But still they 
preached, and in 1776 new territory is invaded; in 
1777 and 1778, amidst the shouts of battle and the 
fires of persecution, a revival is carried forward in 
Virginia and North Carolina, which adds eighteen 
hundred to their numbers. 

We now pass to 1781. The storm of war is hushed, 
the colonies have become independent States. A 
General Conference is called to meet in Baltimore. 
The laborers assemble from all parts of the field. 
Here the Church is organized under the immortal 
Coke, the embodiment of missionary zeal, who laid 
wealth, honor, learning, and social position at the 
foot of the cross. Here the unity of order of bishop 
and elder is restored to apostolic usage, and the dis- 
tinctive work of the former established. Here As- 
bury, who for thirteen years has labored as a mission- 



FIFTY-TWO YEAES IX FLORIDA. 



137 



ary, is ordained bishop; who henceforth, without the 
aid of steam, is to travel his weary rounds annually 
from Maine to Georgia — preaching, presiding, or- 
daining, bearing the care of all the churches, for near 
half a century. Here the consecrated laborers, who, 
with no call but that of God, with no consecration 
but of the Holy Ghost, have planted and built up the 
Church — are now ordained, and henceforth are min- 
isters not only of God, but also of the Church. 

The little streams from their mountain homes have 
been united. Now swells the mighty river, which 
shall continue to flow, increasing in breadth, depth, 
and force until lost in eternity's mighty ocean. 

II. The Present. 

Let us now briefly survey the present. There were 
reported to the Ecumenical Council of Methodism, in 
1SS1, thirty-two thousand six hundred and fifty-two 
itinerant preachers, eighty-nine thousand two hundred 
and ninety-two local preachers, and four million nine 
hundred and sixty-six thousand eight hundred and 
eighty-nine communicants, aggregating five million 
eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and thirty-three 
members, with five million three hundred and eighty- 
seven thousand nine hundred and eight officers, teach- 
er-, and pupils in our Sunday schools. With awe 
and wonder we exclaim : ' ' What hath God wrought ! " 

And again we realize that God works through 
means. Hence the important question of this hour 
is: What have been the means so signally blessed dur- 
ing the last century ? In answer we notice. 

1. Evangelical Doctrines. — Here we make no apol- 
ogies: nor do we at this time propose to offer any 



138 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



proofs of the "correctness of our faith." The arti- 
cles of our religion are embraced, more or less, by all 
evangelical branches of the Church. Those which 
are classed strictly Methodistic, we think, are clearly 
taught in the word of God, and, in the main, find a 
ready response in the human heart. 

(1) We emphasize a salvation free and full, for 
every son and daughter of man. We believe that 
Christ so ' ' tasted death for every man " as to make 
the salvation of each and every one possible, and that 
every soul lost is lost by voluntarily rejecting means 
within his reach for his salvation. This is the key- 
note which swells upon every breeze. To-day one 
hundred and twenty-one thousand nine hundred and 
forty-four Methodist preachers are urging this free 
and full salvation to over twenty millions of hearers. 

(2) Again, as a distinctive doctrine, we preach the 
direct witness of the Spirit. Not only did Christ die 
for us all, but the Holy Ghost is ready to apply the 
blood and seal us heirs of heaven. Not only are we 
heirs, but it is also our privilege now to know whom 
we have believed and to experience what Paul de- 
scribes when he exclaims: " For ye have not received 
the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have re- 
ceived the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, 
Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our 
spirit, that we are the children of God." 

(3) We not only preach a free salvation, but a full 
salvation. Not only that each one may be saved, but 
fully saved; that the blood of Christ cleanseth from 
all sin; and the groaning after this perfect love gives 
intensiveness to all our efforts and is with us the 
chief source of all revival power. 



FIFTY-TWO TEARS IX FLORIDA. 



139 



(4) Again, we preach that man's probation closes 
with his life. Hence we offer salvation to the penitent 
thief, and promise a crown of life to the hoary-headed 
saint, upon condition of his being faithful until death. 

2. Compactness of Organization. — Much of the 
success of our Church is due to the compactness of its 
organization. 

(1) The itinerant system of ministerial labor, while 
it involves the mutual surrender of the minister in 
choosing his congregation, and of the congregation 
in choosing their pastor, secures to each minister a 
charge and to every congregation a pastor. It also 
secures those frequent changes which furnish variety 
to all. It furnishes a strong cavalry force, capable 
of concentration at every strategic point, and a vidette 
for every place, from the city full to the farthest 
point of the emigrant's camp. Thus we see a mighty 
host always in the saddle, with drawn sword, ready 
for the service of their Lord. 

(2) The local preacher, without fee or reward, is 
ready to render service wherever needed. He aids 
in every revival, tills the pulpit of the pastor in his 
absence, seeks out places of destitution, and carries 
to the poor the bread of life. In the highways and 
hedges he calls for the poor, the maimed, the blind, 
and is ever found ready to fill any destitution in the 
itinerant ranks. 

(3) Again, here is the exhorter, the class leader, 
the steward, the trustee, the Sunday school superin- 
tendent and teacher, the faithful and zealous layman, 
all at work — a place for every man and every man in 
his place. "All at it and all the time at it.' 1 This, 
at least, is the theory. God enable every one to fill 



140 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



by active usefulness the place Providence has pre- 
pared for him! 

(4) We may not pass this point without a remark 
upon woman's work in the Church. While we ab- 
hor effeminacy in man, or the assumption of man- 
hood in woman, yet woman — "last at the cross and 
earliest at the grave "■ — has always occupied her place 
in the activities of the Church. The names of Mrs. 
Wesley, Mrs. Fletcher, Mrs. Rogers, and many oth- 
ers, are immortal in the rise of Methodism. From 
then till now the ranks of godly women crowd upon 
the canvas, and to-day — in the family circle, by the 
bed of the sick, in the class room, the missionary so- 
ciety, and temperance union — she adds wisdom, 
strength, and beauty to the temple of God. May 
their numbers increase a thousandfold! 

3. Spirituality. — In noticing the present condition 
of the Church, with its elements of success, we have 
delaj^ed noticing its spirituality until the present be- 
cause we recognize this as the crowning glory of 
Methodism. While all believers in the Bible know 
that "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him 
must worship him in spirit and in truth," yet it is 
our chief glory that from the time Mr. Wesley "felt 
his heart strangely warmed" to the present, a spirit- 
ual regeneration, as well as justification by faith, has 
been the very life and soul of the Church. And 
here let us drop a word of caution to the ministry. 
Infidelity fears no man on the field of polemic strife. 
You may answer his sophistries, but he and the pow- 
ers of hell only laugh and present another head for 
decapitation, while thousands of earth's sons and 
daughters are drifting to hell. But when God's min- 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS EN FLORIDA. 



Ill 



isters preach the word under the influence of the 
Holy Ghost and fire; when every minister cries to 
the Sanballats and To Watts, "I am doing a great 
work, . . . why should the work cease, whilst I 
leave it and come down to you?" then it is the char- 
iot of God moves forward and the ranks of darkness 
hide from the face of truth. "We cannot be too 
guarded here. We have education. God increase it 
a thousandfold ! We have magnificent churches, 
and many appliances which our fathers had not. 
But we ask: Does the spiritual power of the Church 
increase with its material strength \ If the day ever 
comes when learning, eloquence, and all fortuitous 
circumstances combined shall be admitted as a sub- 
stitute for spirituality and spiritual preaching in the 
Church, then ''Mime, mene, tekel, up har 'sin" will be 
written on the Avail. 

4 Objects of These Services. — We next notice the 
objects of these centennial services. 

(1) Methodism was born in a revival. Indeed, the 
New Testament Church was ushered in amid the 
sound of a rushing, mighty wind, cloven tongues of 
fire, earnest, fervent preaching, conviction by the 
Spirit of God, repentance, salvation, and the adding 
of three thousand the first day, and afterwards God 
added to their numbers daily. This was not a revival 
that fell into the old grooves as soon as the protract- 
ed meeting was over. But the fire still burned, the 
preachers still preached, the Church still prayed, and 
God added new converts to their numbers daily. For 
seven days before the revival the disciples were all, 
with one accord, in one place praying for the baptism 
of the Holy Ghost. No wonder they had a revival, 



142 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



no wonder their converts were numbered by thou- 
sands, and that their numbers increased. The same 
means were used in 1739. A few devout students 
fasted, prayed, and sought after holiness. God's 
Spirit aroused others; the valley of dry bones was 
shaken, and there stood up a great army. I love the 
pentecostal shout of thousands, where the Holy 
Ghost and fire rests upon the Church. I love the 
grand continued revival, where the Church is terri- 
bly in earnest, and the daily increase of the converts 
attests the work divine. Brethren, is the revival 
God's plan for the saving of humanity? Then why 
do we sleep while the souls of our people — souls 
bought with the blood of the Son of God, souls 
which must forever live — are drifting daily into hell? 
A revival in every congregation ! Think of one hun- 
dred and twenty-one thousand ministers fasting and 
praying for a revival; think of one-fourth of a mil- 
lion congregations praying for a revival; think of five 
million members with one accord, at the mercy seat, 
praying for a revival; think of twenty million souls 
under our ministry, with the untold millions in the 
regions still beyond, all interested, all infinitely in- 
terested in a revival. Church of the living God! 
"I hear the tread of millions." The year is passing, 
a little revival power here and there, a few thousands 
added to the Church; but this is but the gentle mist 
portending the mighty rain; a slight tremor of the 
earth's surface, to be followed by the upheaval of 
mountains and continents. What can stand before 
the hosts of God's elect if we are in earnest, all with 
one accord in one place (at the mercy seat), and all 
speaking with tongues, as the Spirit gives utterance 



FIFTY-TWO YEAES IN FLORIDA. 



143 



to the wonderful works of God? I may not live 
twenty years, but I do feel that before that time, 
if the whole Church were powerfully in earnest, 
the banner of the cross, decorated with the star 
of Bethlehem, would float from the ramparts of 
every city on the globe. The Hindoo and Caffre 
would send back the shout, swelling upon every 
breeze: "Alleluiah, the Lord God omnipotent 
reigneth ! " 

(2) The next point in our centennial services is a 
donation from every member of our congregation as 
a thank offering to Almighty God. Has he a right 
to our gratitude ? We are his; he made us. We are 
his by redemption and preservation. From infancy 
till the present his right hand has upheld us. Our 
homes, our friends, wealth, honors, pleasures, Sab- 
baths, and Bibles, are all donations from his bounti- 
ful hand. And now he says to us: "Freely ye have 
received, freely give." "Go ye into all the world, 
and preach the gospel to every creature. 1 ' Surrounded 
with ten thousand blessings from his hand, he calls 
upon us to-day for an offering of thanks. Not to 
God, as though he needed anything, but to Christ in 
the person of his poor. While we read our Bibles, 
enjoy his gospel with all the blessings of civil and 
religious liberty, millions of his creatures inhabit 
the dark places of earth and bow to stock and stone. 
If every member of our congregations could but re- 
alize our relation to God and to our common human- 
ity, there would be spontaneous offerings sufficient 
to equip missionaries to every city of the globe. But 
we must aid them in building churches. No mission 
station is equpped until there is a house of prayer; 



144 FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 

a place where God's name is recorded, and where his 
people meet to worship. And then our educational 
facilities must be increased. To-day, perhaps, thou- 
sands of young men feel the call of God upon them 
to preach, but they lack literary qualifications, and 
are too poor to obtain them. Church of God, come 
over and help them! In all our missionary opera- 
tions the mission school is an essential part; while 
we preach to the adults, the children must be in- 
structed. Men of Israel, help not with a nickel that 
you would throw to a beggar, but with an offering 
worthy of your God. 

Let us now briefly glance at the entire subject. 
We have seen the little band in Oxford praying, 
working, and organizing until revival power wraps 
England with glory. We have accompanied the em- 
igrant to America, and heard the shouts of salvation 
among the forests of the New World. We have 
looked in upon Embury in his sail loft in New York, 
and Strawbridge in Maryland, with hosts of heroes 
in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. We have 
seen the Church organizing in Baltimore; have ac- 
companied Asbury in his ample rounds. We have 
moved down the stream while Jerry, Evans, Tally, 
and Slade were planting the standard in Florida. 
We have watched the pioneer felling the forest and 
preaching the cross from Maine to Florida, from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific. For one hundred years we 
have listened to the swelling notes of victory, while 
the number of converts has increased to millions. 
We have sought and found the secret source of pow- 
er, and to-day we raise our Ebenezer, for hitherto 
the Lord hath helped us. 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLORIDA. 



145 



III. The Future. 

Now a glance at the future, and then we close. 
When I first stood upon the banks of the Mississippi 
my first sensation was that of disappointment, then 
of awe as I contemplated the majesty of that mighty 
stream. Thought wandered away to the little stream 
far off in the regions of eternal ice. And from the 
snow-capped Alleghanies on the east to the inaccessi- 
ble crags of the Rocky Mountains on the west, and 
down to the Gulf on the south, there is not a square 
inch of land that does not feel its force, and is not 
watered and drained by its secret springs. 

Yea, through the Gulf, by the Antilles, around the 
reefs < >f Florida, by the coast of Labrador, and on across 
the ocean and upon the shores of the East its benign 
influence is still felt. God Almighty, speed on the 
stream of Methodism until every square inch of our 
sin-cursed earth shall feel its sacred influence; until 
every son and daughter of man shall join in the songs 
of the redeemed; until eternity's mighty ocean shall 
swell in loud alleluiahs to Him that hath loved us, 
and washed us in his own blood, to whom be glory, 
honor, praise, power, and salvation, now and for- 
ever! Amen. 
10 



A SERMON.* 



"And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the 
word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give 
you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.". 
(Acts xx. 32.) 

A more sublime character than St. Paul has never 
walked the strand of time, saving our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Born and raised in Tarsus, brought up at 
the feet of Gamaliel, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, by 
religion a Pharisee, touching the law blameless, in 
zeal for the faith of the fathers excelling all com- 
petitors. But when miraculously convicted and con- 
verted to Christianity, he laid learning, fame, and 
power at the foot of the cross. Conferring not with 
flesh and blood, he immediately began preaching the 
faith he had once destroyed. 

He was now making his last journey to Jerusalem, 
where he knew that bonds and imprisonment await- 
ed him. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and 
called for the elders of the Church. He had planted 
Christianity there, having for three years labored, 
preaching from house to house repentance toward 
God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; and now be- 
fore him stood the representatives of the fruits of his 
ministry. 

With a burning heart he warns them against the 
grievous wolves which should enter in, not sparing 
the flock, the apostates from among themselves, who 

* Preached in McTyeire Memorial Church, Jacksonville, 
Fla., January 10, 1895, on the jubilee occasion of the fiftieth 
anniversary of the Florida Conference. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 147 

would draw away followers; and, rising to the sub- 
lime heights of the occasion, he cries: "And now, 
brethren. 1 commend you to God, and to the word of 
his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give 
you an inheritance among all them which are sanc- 
tified." 

This subject has been selected beause of its appro- 
priateness to our present service. 

Fifty years have run their ample rounds since first 
I preached upon Florida's soil. Half a century has 
been numbered with the ages before the flood since 
the first roll call of the Florida Conference was borne 
away on the breeze, and now we meet to celebrate 
our first jubilee. 

Your speaker does not recognize his selection for 
this important service as a result of any peculiar fit- 
ness on his part for the work, or for ability to fill 
the hour as acceptably as many others who sit before 
him, but simply to the fact that he stands alone upon 
the effective list of those who participated in the ex- 
ercises of the Conference of 1845. And should he 
seem egotistical by frequent personal reference, it is 
only because he cannot otherwise so clearly present 
thoughts of interest. 

In this relation I would try to lay one hand above 
the mighty dead and point to their labors, conflicts, 
and triumphs only as object lessons to those who fol- 
low; and I would lay the other hand upon the heads 
of the heroic living and commend them to God and 
the word of his grace. 

"I commend you to God" — not to Apollos, Ce- 
phas, or John. Although he well knew that other 
apostles and preachers of gigantic minds and loving 



148 



FIFTY-TWO YEAKS IN FLOKIDA. 



hearts would preach to them in the future, yet he 
commended his hearers not to them but to God. The 
apostles were itinerant preachers, and their method 
of rotating* among the churches is the spirit of 
Methodism to-day. But neither he nor any other 
minister, in the sense of our text, would dare com- 
mend his nock to his successors, but to God, the 
eternity of whose existence, the infinity of whose 
power, whose omniscience and omnipresence present 
to our faith a being we can always trust; whose truth 
knows no change, and the very essence of whose ex- 
istence is love; for "God is love." Here, my broth- 
er, you may safely lead and securely leave your flock. 
And while I would shout, "Harvest home!" over the 
triumphs of a jubilee, I would join the immortal 
Massillon, who, beholding the grand pageantry of 
the hour, and presence of the dead king, after 
three efforts to speak, each of which was choked 
by emotion, rose to his uttermost height, and with 
all the power of his voice cried: "There is noth- 
ing great but God!" And here let us pause to say 
that the men of power who labored in the past to 
bring our Conference to its present state were men 
who "walked with God," and whose lives, as well as 
their preaching, were a reflection of the divine image; 
men who went from their knees to the pulpit, and 
from the pulpit to the closet. They were princes 
who prevailed first with God and then with men. 

"To the word of his grace." The word of his 
grace may refer to Christ, as in the benediction: 
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ." We all 
know that the grace of Christ is the sinner's only 
hope, and well might the apostle commend them to 



FIFTY -TWO YEAES IN FLORIDA. 



149 



that grace. But while this may he one meaning of 
the text, we think it applies to the burning words of 
inspiration. Christ says: "Search the Scriptures; 
they testify of me." The Bible is the only rule of 
faith, and the guide to lead us to salvation here and 
glory hereafter. To be a successful minister a man 
must be "mighty in the Scriptures." The heroic 
dead were men who adopted Mr. Wesley's motto : 
"Homo umis liber." They were emphatically men 
of one book. Who that ever heard John L. Jerry 
preach could ever forget his familiarity with the 
Book, especially with the Psalms ( Peyton P. Smith, 
in the burning words of inspiration, while the Di- 
vine Spirit accompanied the word, so preached that 
the sinner felt himself trembling over the very flames 
of hell. But why need I multiply examples when 
the burden of every sermon was the Word of God ? 
Paul was a philosopher, a prince of logicians, a poet, 
and an orator; but I hear him declare to those whom 
he had served: "I determined not to know anything 
among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified." 
One sermon drawn from the word of his grace is 
worth more than whole volumes combating the er- 
rors of science, falsely so called. The world is full 
of theories and the wildest theorists; men who claim 
fellowship with the "schools" announce hypotheses 
of creation, which rule God out of the universe and 
make man a little higher order of animal. But, my 
brethren, if such men can glory in tracing their an- 
cestry back through the monkey, tadpole, and pro- 
toplasm, let them glory in their ignoble lineage. 
But, my brethren, ye are the offspring of the Lord 
Almighty, and do you preach the word of his grace. 



150 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



The philosophy of our day may enlarge our intellec- 
tual facilities, the investigations of science may in- 
crease our knowledge; and these, if held in their 
proper places, may be a blessing to man. But noth- 
ing can build up the Church and raise men to a high- 
er moral plane but God and the word of his grace. 
The religion of the Bible is divine. All the schools 
of morality, science, and philosophy are but men- 
made ladders upon which fools endeavor to climb to 
the skies. Until man can reach inlinity by looping 
together things finite, there is no hope of salvation 
but in God and the word of his grace. And in illus- 
tration of this let us take a brief review of the past. 

Go with me back to that little band that met in 
Tallahassee February 6, 1845. Before us stands the 
venerable Joshua Soule, the senior bishop of our 
Church, who, surveying our territory from Albany, 
Ga., and the Altamaha River to Key West, Fla., and 
from the Atlantic to Apalachicola, and seeing but 
thirty-three men to occupy the field, and about half 
of them untutored youths, he exclaims: "When I 
see your vast and sparsely settled territory, and the 
small number of preachers, I almost wish myself a 
young man and a member of the Florida Confer- 
ence." But the field was manned as best it could be. 
At that day there at least seemed to be no seeking of 
place among the preachers, and no seeking of men 
among the laity, but looking to God we prayed, be- 
lieved, and worked, as receiving our appointments 
from him. The Conference work accomplished, our 
appointments announced, we shake hands and start 
east, west, north, and south, singing our parting 
hymn : 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



151 



The vineyard of the Lord 

Before his lab'rers lies; 
And lo ! we see the vast reward 

That waits ns in the skies. 

But what was the character of that vineyard, and what 
the nature of the laborers' work? The seven years' 
Indian war had just closed, and farmers were return- 
ing to their desolate homes. In East Florida, while 
a few planters were opening large plantations, their 
families were generally left behind. 

The large majority of our population were range 
men who came to Florida for the benefit of their 
flocks. These settled in groups of five to twenty- 
live, for mutual protection from wild beasts and sav- 
age Indians. From one of these groups to the other 
there would probably be five, ten, twenty, and even 
forty miles. The missionary generally preached ev- 
ery day in the week, carrying his pocket compass. 
Striking a given course, he would travel so many 
miles, perhaps fall into an Indian trail and follow it 
to the settlements, where the neighbors gathered 
and heard him preach in one of the houses of the 
settlement. The men generally carried their rifles 
to church and stacked them in the corner till preach- 
ing was over. This was done for protection, should 
a band of Indians attack them, and for the further 
purpose of killing a deer or two after preaching was 
over. 

As to roads, at that day we had the King's High- 
way, from St. Augustine to St. Mary's River, via 
Cowford (now Jacksonville); the Bellamy road, from 
Tallahassee to St. Augustine; the Government road, 
from the Georgia line to Tampa Bay; and a few 



152 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



shorter ones cut by the troops during the war. As 
to bridges, none. As to ferries, we had some two or 
three upon the St. John's, and three upon the Suwan- 
nee. The small rivers and creeks we swam. Some- 
times a settler would have a dugout and carry the 
missionary over, while his horse would swim by its 
side; but generally he would be alone, and his horse 
was his only canoe. I have known a preacher to 
swim three streams in the morning before reaching 
his appointement, preach, ride a number of miles in 
the afternoon, and sleep in his wet clothes at night. 

I cannot leave this part of the subject without a 
word of commendation to the kind pioneers of East 
Florida at that day. There was nothing in their pow- 
er too good for God's ministers. The best they could 
command they set before him; and would often walk 
miles, wading through the water, for their preacher 
to walk across a swollen stream upon a fallen log, 
then take his horse and swim it over, and, meeting 
the parson on the other shore, would shake his hand 
and send him dry to his next appointment. 

The first band of laborers soon began to pass away. 
Two years, and R. A. Griffin answered not to roll 
call; five years, and Alexander Martin was not with 
us; and to-day only Dr. Blake and your speaker an- 
swer to the roll call of those who took appointments 
then, and if any others live except G. W. Pratt, of 
Palatka, and the unique Simon Peter Richardson, of 
the North Georgia Conference, I know it not. But 
before the first passed away others came in, and 
from year to year our members increased, and at al- 
most every Conference our line was a little longer, 
and the fields a little broader. 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



153 



In 1866 we lost nearly half of our territory, and 
nearly half of our preachers, when the South Georgia 
Conference was formed. But this was soon made 
up, and Ave are still increasing, till to-day, though 
our Conference does not cover so much territory as 
two districts did at first, we mount the ramparts with 
one hundred and thirty-seven men. Nailing our 
banner to the outer wall, we shout defiance to earth 
and hell, crying: "What hath God Avrought!" 

Now, my brother, are not God and the word of his 
grace able to build us up? As far as I know, after 
the organization of our Conference, the first house 
of prayer was erected under my ministry — a small 
log house at Fort Call, with hewn puncheon floor and 
seats. It was a rude building, but it answered the 
wants of the people there in 1845. Little did we 
then think of the nucleus of power then planted, nor 
that in after years it should be said in triumph that 
this or that man was born there. But now I see 
churches almost everywhere, and many of them mag- 
nificent structures. In 1846 I called together the f ew 
members we had in Tampa — seventeen in number — 
in a small house belonging to the United States gar- 
rison, and organized them into a church. I now 
look at their magnificent building, their numbers 
and wealth, thank God, and take courage. I remem- 
ber in 1850 organizing a little band of about fifteen 
persons into a church in Palatka, in an old govern- 
ment building. As I look at the present state of 
that church, and think of its members who have al- 
ready crossed the flood in peace, I raise my hands in 
triumph, crying: "What hath God wrought!" 

The same year I drew the titles for a piece of land 



154 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



in Ocala. At that time we worshiped in a small 
log house which served for courthouse, theater, dan- 
cing hall, lecture room and church. To-day I see 
upon that land one of the most beautiful churches in 
our State, surrounded by one of the most pleasant 
pastoral charges. 

In 1851-52 I served the Jacksonville Station. This 
city, without reproach, might have been called a vil- 
lage. It was a single man's station. I think of those 
two years as among the happiest of my itineracy. 
We more than doubled our membership, raised the 
money, repaired and painted our little chapel. That 
chapel, years afterwards, gave way to St. Paul's, and 
that, as the years rolled on, to McTyeire Memorial 
Church, upon the ground where we now worship. 

But the fathers, where are they? There may be 
no vacant places at this communion chancel, but 
they are not filled by those to whom I broke the 
bread and to whom I gave the cup in 1852. "God 
takes away his workmen, but carries on his work." 
As sad memories of the past mingle with august 
surroundings of the present, and still more glorious 
hopes for the future, in triumph we shout: "Allelu- 
iah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." But let 
us not rest in material success, and recline at ease 
under the shadow of turreted cathedrals and mina- 
rets of wealth. No Church can rise higher than the 
aggregate Christian character of its members, nor 
become broader than the purity of those called by 
its name. Every person saved from sin adds one 
polished stone to God's glorious temple, but not ev- 
ery name added to the register, nor every dollar cast 
into the treasury of the Church, adds to its success or 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 155 

power. God and the word of his grace must do the 
work, and unadulterated Christian character is the 
only material we can use in its construction. Sanc- 
tified education, refinement, and eloquence may all 
be used to profit in preparing the material, but God 
and his word must build the temple. I see before 
me, in imagination, to-night, the venerable John 
Slade, one of our oldest pioneers, tall, slender, up- 
right, his face burning like a comet, silver locks 
covering his head. With a voice gratino- harsh thun- 
der he points the sinner to his doom, and with 
>treaming eyes, while a halo of glory brightens his 
face, points the Christian to the pearly gates, the 
golden streets, and crystal ris er of the city of God, 
and whole congregations moved as the golden grain 
bows before the breeze. O brother, when God uses 
the minister, and the word of his grace is the theme, 
the Church will rise and saints will shout for joy. 

"And to give you an inheritance among all them 
which are sanctified." The doctrine of sanctification 
is not only scriptural, but it is Methodistic. Al- 
though I have heard that there are whole ship- 
loads of Methodist preachers in this country who 
are opposed to sanctification, I thank the Lord that 
I have never met one of them. Although I may not 
believe every word that everybody says about sancti- 
fication. yet the doctrine I believe with all my heart, 
and I have preached it more than half a century. 
We all know that the sanctified soul is set apart from 
the service of the world, the flesh, and the devil, to 
love and serve God. We know that perfect love 
casteth out fear; that we may have "peace as a river 
and righteousness as the waves of the sea;" that we 



156 



FIFTY-TWO YEARS IN FLORIDA. 



may love the Lord with all the heart, the soul, the 
mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves; 
that we may do to others as we would have them do 
to us. We know that our good is all divine; that 
whatsoever good is in us is wrought by the Holy 
Ghost through the merits of Christ and received by 
faith. Then let us all quit disputing about the mere 
drapery, and preach and live the divine doctrine, 
knowing that our inheritance is among the sanctified. 

"To give you an inheritance" — one that will give 
you access to the best society in the universe. The 
friends and companions of kings and queens may 
count themselves honored, but our inheritance gives 
us a place among the sons and daughters of the King 
of kings; yea, enables us truthfully to say to him, 
"My Father," in whose presence all kings and queens 
are less than grasshoppers. 

I see a man, poor, afflicted, and despised; but a 
holy calm rests upon his brow, peace is the girdle of 
his loins. Who is he? An heir of God, with the 
promise of an "inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, 
and that fadeth not away." 



